Princess of Heart: A Kairi Story
by LobaLu
Summary: In which the heir to the throne of Ansem the Wise must find the strength within herself to choose between the men she loves and save Radiant Garden.
1. A Second Chance

Rated T for language, fantasy violence, and sensuality.

1

A Second Chance

I couldn't keep my eyes on the stars for very long.

It wasn't that they weren't fascinating, those diamonds encrusted in ebony felt. I'd gained a new appreciation for their beauty after watching them fall, one by one, from the night sky, only to be restored when Xehanort's Heartless was defeated. It was just that they were so _discouraging_ in their infinite numbers. From the marble balcony on which I stood, I could see their multitudes stretching from hemisphere to hemisphere. They were impossible to count, of course.

_And_ impossible to predict.

For years I'd been telling myself that Sora would find me. But really, what were the chances of that? Finding me would be like finding a needle in a haystack, which is pretty near impossible even if you _are_ looking for it. Which I wasn't even sure that he was.

So several years ago, I had decided to lock the idea away where it couldn't torment me anymore. And every time I looked up into the starry night, I was reminded of my resolve to keep it there.

I sighed and rested my head on my arms.

I don't know how long I stood there, trying not to think or feel. I came to my senses as an icy wind swept all the heat from my body. I was grateful for a release into the mundane; thinking about being cold was such a painless venue. I was wearing a thin silk nightgown, not at all practical for a chilly evening in Radiant Garden. Maybe it would be wise to go inside.

But I found that I couldn't move. Greif held me where I was. So I shivered and traced patterns over the smooth marble beneath my fingertips. My long, dark red hair fell in curtains about my face and neck, providing me with what little warmth it would.

It was cold here, though not entirely unpleasant. This world spun on its axis in a way that kept the sun in the southern hemisphere. During the day, the sky was generally a rosy coral or orange in color, and only azure for about an hour in the afternoon. High blue cliffs of crystal rose all around us and the earth was slightly acidic and almost purple in color. There were fountains playing in every square and gardens filled the air with the many fragrances of exotic flowers. Crystal fissures in the mountains were constantly releasing a steady stream of pure, icy water, stimulating the crops in the fields that surrounded us like thick green blankets.

It was beautiful. And my people loved it here, in spite of all the political confusion that kept me from doing my job, which was, in my mind, keeping them safe from the corruptive royal council.

I had learned to love it here too, though gradually. Upon being told that I had spent the first few years of my life in Radiant Garden, I had tried to remember something—anything—about my parents or my past. But the memories of my childhood here were dim if not completely faded.

My lady-in-waiting, Yuffie, had done her best to fill me in. She'd told me that it had been beautiful then, too, under the rule of Ansem The Wise. Before his apprentices had run amok and the heart of the world was lost in darkness, that is.

I sighed. Ansem The Wise. Why had he chosen me? I had wondered it so many times.

But all that mattered now was that he _had_ chosen me. I had been appointed to rule in his stead, In spite of the fact that I wasn't royal by blood. So I couldn't go looking for Sora, even if there _was_ a chance that I would find him. This was where I needed to be.

The thought of leaving hit me like a slap in the face. I gritted my teeth together and did my best to push it to the back of my mind. With a deep breath, I somehow found the strength to look up at the stars. And it was like a dose of heavy medication, grounding me to reality and sealing off the part of my heart that would always be Sora's.

Somewhere in the night, a dog bayed. A clock tower voiced its heavy _bong, bong, bong_ that meant that it was three o'clock in the morning. And with a sigh, I turned and opened the heavy glass doors behind me.

It was a short walk to my bedchamber. As I opened the door and slipped inside, I was suddenly aware of how tired I really was.

The room was huge. Its ceiling sloped high over my head, giving off a feeling of airiness that was sometimes pleasant, but sometimes lonely. I'd done what I could to ensure that it was tastefully decorated, with its ice-blue walls and milky-white canopy over my sumptuous feather bed. The color template wasn't much different from my bedroom back home. Still, it wasn't the same.

I slumped onto the thick white comforter, then eased my way beneath it and into my satin sheets.

It was luxurious of course, but on nights like these I did not find it comfortable. The bed was too large for one person and the emptiness that my lone body could not fill made my heart ache.

"Stupid," I murmured to myself. "Don't think about that. You've got to be strong."

And so I would be. Tomorrow I would lock all of it away and put on my brave face. I had to, for the sake of my loved ones. Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Leon... and all the others who'd found work in the castle that I'd grown to love and appreciate. Plus there were my people. They needed the guidance of a courageous ruler; someone they could trust. Someone they could count on.

That was important. If there was one thing I had learned from Sora's continued absence, it was the vitality of trust.

So I snuggled into bed and closed my eyes tight. When I awoke, I would be a leader—someone who could point her feet forward and forget about the past.

"See you tomorrow, Princess," I told myself sleepily. And with a sigh, I sank into unconsciousness.

~o~

Thanks to Yuffie, the next morning was mercifully easy.

"Hiya, Kairi. Time to get up!" She chirped in that cheerful, manic voice that morning people are famous for.

I groaned. "Go 'way."

A plushy pillow came down on my head with a startling _fwump_. As she dragged it off my face, I was conscious of bright sunlight streaming through my eyelids.

"Yuffie," I growled, scowling as my eyes came to rest on her grinning face. She was standing on my bed, pillow in hand, triumphant.

"Yay! You're alive!"

"_You_ sure as heck won't be for long," I grouched, snatching the pillow from beneath my head and slipping and sliding to my feet. I was actually grateful for the intrusion; it would take my mind off last night's lapse in emotional control. _Thank you, Yuffie,_ I thought to myself.

She giggled as I took a swing at her, but she bounced easily out of the way. "There's no way you can take the great ninja Yuffie down!" She crowed, grinning and jerking a thumb at herself.

I took advantage of her momentary distraction and nailed her in the face. Feathers flew in every direction.

"Hey!" She squealed. "You'll pay for that, Your _Majesty_!"

Soon the air was full of feathers, screams, and shouts. We bounced higher and higher on the bed, till the blankets were a mess and we were giggling so hard we couldn't breathe.

By the time I couldn't bounce anymore, my heart felt ten times lighter. I gave Yuffie a wide smile, which she returned without any hesitation. It's amazing what friendship can do for a person.

"Your Highness," a politely disinterested voice interrupted. I saw my butler, Rufin, standing like a statue in the doorway across the room. He'd probably knocked, but it would have been impossible for us to hear him over all our giggling. Without seeming surprised by our apparent lack of dignity, he said, "You're late for your morning press conference and Chancellor Tsukada is getting a little… irritated."

I laughed aloud. Of course, if there was anyone who would be having a hissy fit over my lack of punctuality, it would be the High Lord Chancellor. "Irritated" was probably a serious understatement.

"Don't you mean downright pissed off?" I asked. Yuffie stifled a giggle.

Rufin seemed unperturbed. "Yes, that's the one, M'lady."

Hmm. Well now I was in hot water. "Shoot," I said, "I forgot about the press conference. Well, tell him I'll be right down." I walked across the expanse of my bed and climbed onto the floor. "C'mon, Yuffie."

Suddenly, the pillow came down on my neck like a whip. There weren't many feathers left in it at this point, so it left a big red mark across my skin.

"Ow!" I yelled, as she danced away from me, laughing. "Some lady-in-waiting you are!"

"Yeah, and I've been waiting and waiting and _waiting_ for you all morning. You deserved it!"

~o~

Breakfast was a rushed affair and Yuffie hurried to dress me up as best she could in the limited amount of time we had. And then I was whisked away to the town square, where a huge mob of reporters was waiting for me.

Light bulbs flashed, blinding and disorienting, as I stepped up to the pulpit. The steady hum coming from the crowd grew into a serrated roar and even though this wasn't new to me, my heart fluttered just the same. There were so many people!

And they were mine. My people.

I smiled at them and said, "Hey everyone," in a clear, carrying voice. A hush fell over the crowd and more flashes exploded up at me.

I could see many faces smiling back. Smiling trustfully, smiling expectantly. And a few were eyeballing the note cards in my hands.

The note cards! I suddenly remembered them.

They were covered in loopy, pompous handwriting. Lord Chancellor Tsukada had written them for me and thrust them into my hands just before we left the castle. "This is your speech," he had said. "And please, Princess Kairi, no more improvising."

I ruffled through them and was a little irritated to find that they contained the exact material he had presented to the council just the day before. I had not agreed with any of the movements he had proposed. Did he really think I would just read the cards like a robot, without even realizing what was coming out of my mouth and into the microphone?

I turned to raise an eyebrow at him. He was sitting on his throne behind me, twisting the tip of his mustache between two fingers. He nodded stiffly toward the cards.

I shook my head and turned around again. The silence had deepened; everyone was waiting for me to speak.

"You know," I said, setting the cards down, "I don't really need these."

I could almost hear the air catch in Chancellor Tsukada's throat.

"Instead, I'd like to tell you about a proposition I made in the Royal Council yesterday." More light bulbs flashed. "It's not the proposition _they_ wanted me to present, but…" I shrugged. "I'm supposed to be the one who calls the shots, right?"

An appreciative chuckle rumbled through the crowd. The people were all too aware of the council's power over me; Chancellor Tsukada's in particular.

"I know there's one thing on everyone's mind today," I began, my voice strong and resolute. "Unemployment."

Thoughtful nods. Indistinctive murmurings. Unemployment was one of the biggest problems that our world suffered, because since it had recently been remodeled, those who had relied on construction jobs were left with nothing after Chancellor Tsukada had declared the work to be finished.

"Chancellor Tsukada wants to fix this problem by laying down more taxes. Then everybody could get a nice unemployment check in the mail once a month. But I was thinking, is this really going to fix the problem?"

I could see Aerith and Yuffie in the crowd, nodding encouragingly. They were probably my biggest fans.

"Wouldn't it be better to provide more jobs?" I went on, "So that the checks wouldn't be just circulating money, from taxes to checks and checks to taxes?"

I heard Chancellor Tsukada clear his throat nervously.

But I wasn't going to let that stop me. "So I was thinking, why not use the money in the royal treasury to fund some new building plans? Like bridges and roads to increase commerce between cities and make travel easier. That'd make jobs, right?" I paused, a little nervously, because I was definitely not an expert on economics or anything like that.

But it seemed simple enough. And maybe simplicity was just what we needed.

"I have several new building plans in mind—tunnels, roads, and bridges—which, upon being built, will increase commerce between villages. See, these building projects will provide _temporary_ jobs, funded by the royal family, and once they're up and running, they'll hopefully provide permanent jobs and boost our economy." From the way everyone was nodding, I could tell that they approved. "With a bigger buyer's market, we'll be able to expand our businesses and take on new workers."

The noise increased as my plan unfolded.

"But it's just an idea," I said. "If you like it, well… maybe you can talk the council members into letting it pass for once. They usually shoot me down, for reasons that are money-related. Money within the royal circle, that is."

The noise was morphing into a steady roar. People craned their necks and stood on their tip-toes to get better camera shots.

"I'd like to expand that circle to include everyone," I said above all the noise. "Maybe I'm naïve. But I'm pretty sure that if there's one thing everyone deserves, it's a second chance."

Now the cheers were so loud that I could hardly hear myself talk. I caught sight of a reporter toward the front of the crowd. Her camera was resting easily at her side and her pencil and notepad were forgotten in one hand. She only looked up at me with wonder on her face. Her mouth hung open, revealing long white teeth and a silver expander.

After that day, I would often wonder if it was she who was responsible for the next morning's newspaper headline: _Is Teenage Ruler Just What We Needed?_

~o~

I didn't see Chancellor Tsukada for the rest of the day. I assumed he was out doing what he called "damage control". It involved apologizing to all the royal advisors and taking precautionary measures against my proposal – something he did after nearly all of my public speaking events.

The next morning, he was waiting for me at the breakfast table, same as usual. His hollowed face with the high cheekbones was speculative as he watched Yuffie and I enter the grand dining hall. He twirled the tip of his mustache between two fingers.

"Good morning, Chancellor Tsukada," I said politely, after sitting down in my usual seat. Yuffie put a neatly folded napkin in my lap, then left the room. I was starving and today's eggs and bacon looked delicious.

"Good morning, Your Highness," he answered, rather stiffly. "Or... is it still morning? Perhaps 'good afternoon' would be more appropriate."

I shrugged.

"Come now, Princess Kairi," he said, losing his attempt at civility with a huff. "You do know that you have an entire kingdom to look after, don't you? You can't lie abed all day and do as you please."

A basket of fresh baked biscuits sat in front of me and their aroma was so tantalizing that I couldn't ignore them long. I reached out and snatched one, then put it on my plate. "I was under the impression that _you_ look after the kingdom much more than I do," I said, after breaking into the biscuit with my bare hands and leaving crumbs all over the tablecloth. He gave me a scandalized look before answering.

"I rather think that you've taken the matter into your own hands. You made quite a fiasco out of yesterday's press conference."

I shrugged.

"You may think I'm being controlling, but believe it or not, I only want what's best for you."

I knew there was some truth to that. And I knew that he had known me since I was born, but that didn't change the fact that he was practically trying to take over. It wasn't that all his ideas were bad… It was just that sometimes he didn't seem to care for the welfare of the people as much as I did. So we tended to butt heads a lot.

I had to give him some respect, though, because he was the brother of the deceased Ansem The Wise, and therefore the highest ranking citizen of the Radiant Garden, aside from myself.

So I chose to ignore him and grabbed a spoonful of eggs and a bit of toast.

"Anyway, today is an important day, Princess," Chancellor Tsukada said, filling the silence.

I chased my eggs around my plate with a fork, as though completely immersed in the task. I was pretty sure that nothing he could say would phase me after all I'd been through in the last couple days.

"Don't you want to know what day it is?" He prompted after a moment.

I sighed. Obviously he was looking for some sort of response, so I broke down and asked, "What day is it?"

Chancellor Tsukada folded his napkin and leaned forward in his chair, as though he were about to give me the treat of my life. "Today, my dear, is the day that you are to meet your betrothed, Prince Setzer Gabbiani of Albrook."

A shocked silence hung in the air for a long moment; the fork in my hand fell to the ground with a clatter. I was suddenly aware that my mouth was hanging wide open, but I couldn't remember how to close it.

"My what?" I managed to gasp.

"Your betrothed. The future king of Radiant Garden that King Ansem The Wise himself decided, when you were first born."

"Wait," I nearly squeaked. "I didn't... I didn't even _know_ about this. How do you know about it? Did Ansem put it in his will or something?"

Chancellor Tsukada chuckled. The sound of it angered me. How could he be so callused? Didn't he realize how traumatizing it would be to wake up one morning and find out that you were betrothed?

"My dear Princess," he said, "I was there the day that the arrangements were made. My brother and I both agreed that it would be a smart match. The girl that he envisioned as the perfect future queen of Radiant Garden and the youngest son of his good friend, the king of Albrook."

"I wanna see a paper," I squeaked. "I need to see a signature." My head was spinning and all my past illusions of stability were suddenly gone.

He laughed again, louder this time. "Well, there were a few forms to fill out. I'm sure I could find one for you to look at if that's what you require."

Yes. There had to be some way around this, there just _had_ to be. "Okay," I said, a little more sharply than I'd intended. "Find one. I want to see it myself."

He ran a hand over his bald, shiny head. "Why are you so opposed to this, Princess? You haven't even met the man, after all. He's had quite a rough life, let me assure you—" was that supposed to impress me? "—Fighting off an evil empire so that he could return to his city in peace."

I was shaking my head. "How can I marry someone I don't even know?"

Chancellor Tsukada puzzled over this. "Don't know? Why is it so important that you _know_ him?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "Oh, just because most people value being in a _relationship_ with their spouses," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

He frowned, as though the idea had never occurred to him.

I suppressed a sigh. "How old is he, anyway?"

"Well, I would guess somewhere in his late twenties. Why does it matter?"

His late twenties? So he was like, ten years older than me? Not that it mattered all that much in itself; it just made him different from me and different Sora. I tried to calm down, but my hands were shaking.

This all had to be a nightmare, it just had to be. "Why?" I gasped. "Why do I have to marry somebody just because Ansem The Wise thought it would be a good idea? Don't I get a choice?"

"No," Chancellor Tsukada answered, bemused.

"Why not?" I demanded.

"Because you're a princess," he said simply.

~o~

I hadn't chosen to be a princess, either.

It had been a while now since I'd discovered that I was one of the seven "Princesses of Heart". But it hadn't meant much to me until the day that _they _had come for me.

Chancellor Tsukada had been with them, of course, but he hadn't been the only one. The mayor of Radiant Garden, who was about to give up his position, had explained the whole thing to me and my parents. The city was growing, rapidly, and it was time to return it to its rightful state: a kingdom and a monarchy. The way Ansem The Wise had intended it.

I had been startled to find out that Ansem The Wise had been a king. I could still remember the night of his demise and his noble attempt to destroy the Kingdom Hearts that Xemnas had created.

And now I was carrying on in his footsteps, ruling this beautiful kingdom in peace. But it was because of him that I had been taken from my foster parents and my island. It was because of him that my world was changing, flipping upside down and turning inside out...

And now, because of him, I would soon be losing the love of my life... forever.

Inwardly, I kicked myself. I'd only been able to go two days without thinking of Sora… How pathetic. I slammed the door and wandered over to my window seat, where I curled up in a ball and waited for the agony to end. My heart was shattering.

"Kairi?" A tentative voice asked. I heard the door open and Yuffie walked in. "Are you okay?"

I looked up at her, tears running down my face. My mouth fell open, but no words would come out. What could I possibly say to her, when I'd vowed to keep this part of myself from her? I hadn't wanted her to know how much I missed Sora. I hadn't wanted _anyone_ to know how much I missed him, or vulnerable I really was.

Apparently my face said it all, because she sighed and her shoulders slumped. "That bad, huh?" she said. I knew she must have overheard the whole thing from the kitchens.

I looked out the window. It was an overcast, dull afternoon. I could see the clouds beginning to darken where they gathered in the east and I could see people on Main Street rushing indoors at the threat of impending rain. Yuffie stood beside me, silent.

Eventually she spoke. "Maybe you're giving up too soon, Kairi," she said quietly.

The idea of it angered me. I turned around to glare at her, my hair clinging to my damp face in long red ribbons. "Too soon? Are you kidding me?"

"Look, I'm not saying that you _should_ have to wait any longer," she said, raising her hands defensively. "But... you wouldn't want to do anything you'd regret, would you?"

I returned my gaze to the gloom. "It doesn't sound like I have a choice, anyway," I mumbled.

"Sure you do. There's always a choice," she said in that maddening buoyancy she always managed to uphold.

"Chancellor Tsukada said I had to do it, to honor Ansem The Wise," I said, as the hopelessness of the situation gripped me.

Yuffie shook her head. Her short black hair came un-tucked from behind her ears. "You don't owe him anything. This is _your_ life. And even Ansem the Wise knew how you felt about Sora."

I scowled at her for using the name in my presence. The single-syllable word that stabbed with one sharp thrust each time I heard it.

"Oh, stop making frowny-faces. You're not even good at it." She wagged a finger at me.

I smiled a tiny bit, but it quickly faded.

"You still love Sora."

I stared at her for a moment, surprised at her intuitive assumption, then sighed. "I shouldn't though. It doesn't make any sense."

She shrugged. "Haven't you heard? Love doesn't have to."

"But—why? Why should I love someone who left me and never came back?" I wondered aloud—a question more for myself than for her.

"Give him a second_ chance_," Yuffie advised, a little slyly. "Take your own advice."

I shook my head; second chances were for people who deserved them. "It's been three years," I said. "He could have come at any time."

"Maybe not. Maybe he's been so wrapped up in the whole keyblade wars thing that he couldn't." She smiled. "You gotta hand it to the boy, he does have a knack for saving the worlds. Again and again and again..."

"Well apparently he doesn't miss me as much as I miss him, because he would have fought his way to _me_, otherwise." I knew I was being petulant, but suddenly I didn't care.

She gave me a speculative look. "Well, _you're_ still here," she pointed out after a moment. "You could have gone looking for him, too."

Ha. "Don't think the idea never occurred to me," I said wryly, thinking about all the nights I'd spent on the balcony, with only the stars overhead to discourage me.

_"If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"_

I shivered as Axel's voice echoed through my mind.

So what was I supposed to do?

"I'm gonna go now," Yuffie said in response to my prolonged silence. She turned and walked across the room. "I'll be back tonight for your little rendezvous with 'Setzer', but I need to talk to Leon first."

"Okay," I murmured, still immersed in thought. She left without a sound.

I sat there for a long time. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I got up and headed for the castle library. There was something there that I had to see—a confirmation that I had to make.

Rain was pounding and slashing against the windows as I made my way there. I could see a massive wall of gray clouds through the glass.

The heavy wooden doors gave a familiar squeak as I pushed them open. Almost instantly, the smell of musty books greeted my nose. The library, for the most part, was completely untouched by anyone but me. No one really had any use for these old books.

I pulled one of them out of its place on the shelf and leafed through it. It was one of Ansem's old chemistry reports. Something had been spilled on the pages, leaving them warped and smelly. I put it back.

Not all of the books were from his collection. Maleficent had added her own books to the high wooden shelves during her time in the castle. I'd looked through some of them before and found out that they were magic books, often dark and mysterious and filled with gruesome illustrations. Either that, or legends of seven maidens of the purest heart.

I made my way over to the corner of the room and found what I was looking for—a dusty old shelf, propped up against the wall. There were no books on it; I'd carefully removed them, years ago, and laid them in stacks on the ground.

I grabbed the shelf, gritted my teeth together, and pulled with all my might. The shelf came sliding along, leaving a space about a foot wide for me to squeeze through on the other side. I slipped into the dark, tiny space, then clicked on my flashlight.

It was a passageway that I'd discovered several years ago. I'd noticed scrape-marks across the tile where the shelf had been dragged across the ground, so I'd moved it. Turns out, it was blocking entry to the passageway, which led to a balcony on the back side of the castle.

Inside, it was lined with paintings. The first was a massive watercolor of Ansem the wise. His sleek blonde hair fell to his shoulders and his mouth curved at the edges of his well-trimmed goatee. His eyes were a startling shade of orange.

I moved down the line of portraits. They were mostly nobles, looking haughtily down at me. Chancellor Tsukada was up there, looking a little younger and a little hairier.

And then I saw it—a portrait of Ansem The Wise with another king and a little boy. I'd looked at it before, carefully read the subtitle, and wondered why this king and his son were standing in a portrait with Ansem. Now I knew.

The king looked arrogant. He wore a crown and was sitting, almost smugly, upon his throne. Ansem The Wise stood beside him, the corners of his lips turning up just enough to illustrate that this was painted before the dark days. He looked as grand as ever.

And the little boy stood by the king's arm. He had a chubby face, smooth silver hair, and a little gold crown on his head. By the look of his profile, with his chin pointed upward and his jaw set, I could already tell that that he was spoiled.

A lump rose in my throat as I touched the subtitle, which was etched on a silver plaque beneath the painting. It read: _King Ansem The Wise of Radiant Garden, King Adanam Gabbiani of Albrook, and his son, Prince Setzer Gabbiani of Albrook._


	2. The Visitor

~o~

2

The Visitor

He came bursting into the entrance hall around seven o'clock. There were servants everywhere, attending to this and that, but a sudden hush fell over them when they saw the Ken-doll face of Prince Setzer, smiling hugely.

I gasped. He looked like a peacock. An _old_ peacock.

"Welcome, Prince Setzer!" Chancellor Tsukada boomed, rushing forward and giving a bow. "You look well!"

"Yes, I am well, thank you," Setzer said, giving his head a haughty toss. He was wearing a spangled purple traveling cloak and his long silver hair fell down his back. He looked like an overconfident, overgrown pretty-boy.

The servants had all rushed back into the kitchens and dining hall. Yuffie gave me a significant glance before vanishing as well. I knew she would be listening behind the door.

"Princess Kairi."

Setzer pranced over to me and grabbed my hand. I flinched.

"You are more lovely than I had ever dreamed," he said, his words polished and practiced. He bent over and kissed my hand; I wrinkled my nose and pulled it out of his grasp.

Chancellor Tsukada noticed and shot me a threatening look. I put on my best beauty pageant smile and said, "How are you, Prince Setzer?"

"Very fine, thank you," he said, flashing a set of perfect teeth at me. "It's very nice to _finally _get to meet you, darling."

_Darling_?

Chancellor Tsukada cleared his throat and glared in my direction.

"Nice to meet you too," I said through my teeth. Setzer didn't seem to notice.

~o~

Before now, I would have told anyone that it was impossible to be _bored _to _death_. Now I wasn't so sure.

Then again, death would be downright pleasurable compared to what I was going through right now.

It was our third time around the garden and I was beginning to wonder if I would be able to climb over the hedge and escape into the courtyard in a dress, or whether it would be best to simply run away and hope he didn't chase after me.

"...And so then I told him, 'If you ever want to win the Struggle Title Match, you're going to have to learn how to jab like me,' and he absolutely _begged_ me to be his personal trainer. And so then I..."

What was he babbling on about now? His stupid "Blackjack" ship? His obsession with gambling? His old girlfriends? I didn't think I could take much more of this. There was only one topic of this conversation: Setzer, Setzer, Setzer.

"Don't you think so, dearest?"

I started. He was asking me a question? "Um, what did you say?"

"I said, you probably think your Setzer could hold onto the championship belt forever, don't you?" He was talking in a mushy, gooey, _romantic_ voice.

"Uh... probably not, if he lost," I said, logically.

He looked surprised that I wasn't as confident in him as he was. "Well... I suppose that is true. You are quite the... smarty, aren't you?" He smiled and patted my hand fondly, though a little less exuberantly.

I rolled my eyes and pulled my hand away. Then I threw all pretenses out the window by saying, "You mean, 'quite the smart ass'?"

He was downright shocked. His eyes widened and he gaped at me like he'd never expected such a thing to come from my mouth. "Uh... no... of course not," he finally stammered. "To be perfectly honest, I _have_ lost a couple matches." He said it like he was ashamed.

Like I cared.

"The first happened a few years ago," he went on. I began to sink into another stupor. "I was defeated by a young man named Roxas."

A light clicked on in my head. "Roxas!?" I cried, completely losing my composure. "You know Roxas?"

"Yes," he said, surprised.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I cried.

"You—you didn't ask."

"How do you know him?" I demanded.

"Um... as I said, he... uh... defeated me..." He was so surprised that he was actually backing away from me now as though concerned that my sudden insanity was contagious.

"When?" I demanded.

"Uh... several years ago..."

"How many?"

"I'm not sure... three or four? Four, probably."

Four years? That was before... I sighed and my shoulders slumped. What little news I had of Sora was from the past.

"Do you... know him, dearest?" he asked tentatively. I could tell he didn't really care; he was just trying to make things less awkward.

"I knew him," I admitted with a sigh._ And don't call me dearest, you moron_, I wanted to add, but held my tongue.

Setzer seemed to think that the worst of my explosion was over, because he put a hand on my shoulder and said, "Come. Let's go eat dinner. You must be famished."

I flinched away from his touch, but nodded. Maybe I would be able to escape him once we got inside.

The dinner that Chancellor Tsukada had ordered the cooks to prepare was a lavish one. I didn't particularly care for the stuffed crab, poached eggs, and escargot that sat upon golden platters and crisp greens, but Setzer porked it down despite his constant complaints about its quality. I looked up and him with disgust as he swallowed bites of food that would have easily choked a normal person and then patted his mouth daintily with a napkin. Whether he was a man or a woman or a bottomless pit, I wasn't quite sure.

Chancellor Tsukada kept him prattling on about himself with ease, so I was able to chase my food around my plate and ignore him. After a half hour, however, my strategy fell apart.

"Oh, don't worry, Chancellor Tsukada," Setzer was saying, "She simply _adores_ me, already, don't you darling? It's not hard to see." The words brought me out of my reverie with a shock.

Something brushed up against my shoulder. I flinched away from Setzer's arm as he tried to lay it casually across my shoulders.

Fury twisted my mouth into a scowl and brought my teeth together with a snap. This was just too much. We'd just met a few hours ago, for crying out loud. And I adored the wart on the end of Chancellor Tsukada's nose more than I adored Setzer.

"I'm out of here," I muttered mutinously, then jumped out of my chair, knocking Setzer's arm to the side. I clippedy-clapped out of the hall, my long skirts billowing out behind me. I could feel their eyes on my back, but I didn't turn around.

"Princess Kairi!" A voice called after me. "Wait!"

I didn't stop. That voice made me want to run—no, sprint—in the opposite direction as fast as I could.

We were halfway down the hall when he caught up to me, wheezing. "Where... are... you... going?" he panted, grabbing my shoulder and turning me around to face him. A gust of bad breath blew across my face, mingled with nasty cologne.

I wrinkled my nose. "Away from you," I snapped, wrenching my shoulder from his grasp. My own hostility surprised me; I was usually such a collected person.

He looked at me with blatant disbelief for a moment, then smiled with gradual comprehension. "I'm so sorry, dear," he apologized.

My eyes narrowed distrustfully.

"I shouldn't have exposed your true feelings like that," he went on. "I'm sure it was a little embarrassing for you, in front of the servants and Chancellor Tsukada. I can see that, for once, I was wrong."

My mouth fell open with a loud popping sound. I stood there, gaping at him, unable to believe it. He could not be saying this. It was too extreme. No person could be _this_ ridiculously stupid, this outrageously conceited that they couldn't wrap their head around even the most obvious of rejections. It made me sick.

"A heart like yours shouldn't be wagered like a poker chip in a pile. I can make it up to you, though," Setzer said, giving me a toothy grin.

And then, before I could wrap my head around what was going on, he was leaning toward me, his lips puckered and his eyes closed.

I reacted as if he were a piranha trying to take a chunk out of my face rather than an overzealous suitor. I screamed and slapped him away from me, then leapt backward, nearly tripping over my own high heels (which takes skill by the way) in my frantic hurry to escape.

I dashed down the hall, holding my skirts up in one hand, then raced through the large kitchen doors and nearly banged into Leon.

"Kairi!" he said in surprise.

I was gasping for breath. "Hide me, please!" I begged.

Suddenly the kitchen was full of laughter. I looked up at all the smiling faces and realized that I had finally arrived in a place that was somewhat sane. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Here, chile'. You mus' be hongry. I seen how you didn't eat none o' that," the serving maid said, thrust a bright red apple into my hands.

I smiled up at her, then took a bite out of the apple. There was an explosion of good, familiar flavor in my mouth.

"Now what was that all about?" Leon asked in a low, somewhat nasally voice.

A few chuckles broke out and I could see the others standing around me, now: Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid. They were smiling down at me as though I were a misbehaving toddler rather than the ruler of their nation. At least _that_ would never change.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, c'mon, Leon. You couldn't handle two hours of that, either." I took another bite of apple.

"We listened to your dinner conversation," Yuffie said, giggling. "And I can't say that I blame you for running away screaming... but what did Chancellor Tsukada and _Setzer_ have to say about that?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I ran away, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Leon grumbled. "And maybe you should give him a chance, Kairi. It's what Ansem The Wise wanted, after all."

I stared at him in disbelief and Yuffie shot him a quick, sour look.

"Looks like it don't matter if she does," Cid said, the toothpick in his mouth dangling haphazardly as he spoke. I was surprised that he had managed to keep his sentence free of obscenities thus far; he had the most fabulous mouth known to man. "Sounds to me like the chancellor ain't even givin' her a choice."

"There's always a choice," Yuffie said firmly.

Cid persisted. "What's the point?" he wondered aloud. "It's not like that damn kid is ever gonna…"

"Ahem," Yuffie interrupted with a scowl in Cid's direction, "what do you think of Setzer, Aerith? Think he'll make a good husband for Kairi?"

I shuddered, then set the apple down on the countertop as my appetite vanished.

"No, of course not," Aerith said in her usual gentle voice. "She should marry for love. And she should wait for _him_ no matter how long it takes him to find her," she soothed.

We were quiet for a moment as her words sunk in.

Leon scratched his chin. "By _'him_', do you mean—"

"I'm hungry," Yuffie interrupted. "Molly, do you have any of that crab left over?"

"Sho' do. You kin have as much as you like, girl."

"Awesome," she said. "Oh, wait. I'll have to come back for it later, 'cause I've got to get Kairi all settled into bed."

"I'll just go," I said. "I don't need you to unzip my dress for me, Yuffie, despite what Chancellor Tsukada thinks."

She smiled at me, then looked at the crab. "Well... okay, if you insist."

I walked toward the door, opened it a crack, and peeked out into the hallway. It was empty.

"Good night, everyone," I said, before slipping outside.

"'Night, Kairi," they answered. Each face bore an encouraging smile. My heart was filled with gratitude for each of them as I briskly climbed the grand staircase.

~o~

I opened my bedroom door and stepped into the calming, dark, familiar place. I closed the door quietly behind me, then walked across the soft white carpet toward my rosewood nightstand.

My hands reached out, searching for the button on the cord of my lamp that would fill the room with a pool of dim light. However, on my journey, one of my outstretched hands encountered something quite different than what it was searching for.

Whatever it was, it was very warm, smooth, and alive. I gasped as I realized it was skin. Flesh. A person.

My heart leapt into my throat and blocked off my airway, catching the scream that frantically fought its way toward freedom. I leapt backwards, away from the person who I knew was there. Who was obviously waiting for me to do me good or ill. Which, I would surely find out soon.

I stood for a moment, trembling in the darkness. Then my hand shot out and found my lamp. With a single click, I could see everything.

The person stood facing away from me, toward the window; I'd touched his back. He had silvery hair that fell to his elbows and for a moment I was appalled, thinking that it was Setzer who stood waiting for me in my own bedroom.

But then I realized that this person had a different build than Setzer: much more muscular, much more powerful. And there was something familiar about his stance.

He gave a short laugh. "Sorry… I didn't mean to scare you. But I guess that was kind of inevitable."

The voice had deepened, but there was still no mistaking it.

"Riku...?" I whispered, my voice shaking with longing. "Is that... you?"

He turned to face me. My eyes filled with tears. There was a small scar on his chin and his bright aqua eyes had a certain hardness in them. But it was still Riku. There was no mistaking that "screw the world" attitude that radiated from his very posture. I couldn't believe it. A sob wrenched its way from my throat.

"Oh, Riku!" I gasped. My legs buckled.

He lunged for me and caught me before I hit the ground, his expression filled with concern. "Kairi," he exclaimed, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," I whispered, but my head was spinning. I looked up into his eyes. "Just... surprised."

He chuckled.

"How... Where...why did you... what are you..." my voice trailed off; I couldn't form a coherent question. "Oh, Riku!" I sobbed, unable to continue.

"Shhh," he whispered. He wrapped his thick, strong arms around me. "It's okay, I'm here."

I curled up against his chest and pressed my face into the fabric of his T-shirt, letting it absorb the tears, which still flowed freely from my eyes. He held me tightly and pressed his cheek lovingly against my forehead. I cried and cried for an immeasurable amount of time, but he held me through it all, never moving or making a sound.

Finally, I was able to staunch my tears and get a grip on myself. I pulled away from him to look at his face.

He smiled at me. "Better yet?" he wondered.

"I'm working on it," I said. There was a tremor in my voice.

He pulled me close again and held me for a long moment. I could hear his heartbeat under my ear.

"Why didn't you come sooner, Riku?" I whispered. "I've missed you so much."

He was quiet for a moment. "I wanted to, Kairi. But there's a war raging out there—the likes of which you can't possibly imagine." As he spoke into my ear, his lips brushed up against my skin. "I came as soon as I could, but I'm sorry that it couldn't have been years ago."

We were silent. Then, my heart aching to the bursting point, I whispered, "What about... _him_?"

He didn't say anything for a while, just held me. Finally he murmured, "I don't know where he is anymore. I haven't seen him in over a year. But I wouldn't worry about him if I were you. He can take care of himself, as he was quick to remind me." He grimaced.

"Was he planning on... I mean... did he... mention me, at all?" I swallowed nervously.

He didn't answer.

"Riku...?" I prompted, fear flooding through me.

"I'm sure he misses you, Kairi," Riku said, a little stiffly. "But finding his old friends isn't really his first priority right now."

My shoulders slumped. "So... he isn't coming?"

"He... could be. But I don't really know. I'm sorry."

My heart was bleeding. I could almost feel the hot, sticky moisture burning through me like acid. "It's okay," I said, fresh tears stinging my eyes. "It's not your fault."

He reached up and brushed the moisture from my cheek with his fingers. "Don't cry," he whispered. "I want to see your smile again. I've lived without it so long."

I sniffed a little, then gave him a watery smile. He smiled in return. His eyes flickered down to my trembling lips and, for a brief moment, his own parted ever so slightly and he leaned forward, searching. I couldn't breathe. Then, inches from my face, he clenched his teeth together and he pulled away, the hardness returning to his eyes. He sighed and closed them, his eyelids acting like a shield to hide his hungry, weary soul.

"Riku..." I whispered, caressing his cheek with my hand.

"I've got to go," he said suddenly, catching my hand in its journey down his rough jaw-line.

He must have seen my panicked expression, because he hastily added, "Just for the night—I can come see you again tomorrow, if you want. I'm exhausted, that's all." He looked at the floor.

I softened. "Where would you sleep?"

"On a park bench or something. It really doesn't matter. I'm so tired I could just bed down on the paved road," he said with short laugh.

I scowled at him. "No, that's stupid. Stay here. Please don't leave me."

He sighed. "I can't, Kairi. If they found me here, the guards would kill me on the spot."

"No," I whispered. "I'd never let them, not in a million years. You know that."

The corners of his mouth turned up a tiny bit. Then he closed his eyes and tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a huge yawn. "Oh, that's right. You're a princess now. A hot shot," he teased.

I snorted. "Okay, you need some sleep." I brushed my fingers against the bags under his eyes that I hadn't noticed till now.

He nodded. "'Kay. 'Night, Kairi." He turned toward my window.

He didn't get far, though. I held onto his hand with an iron grasp, dug my heels into the carpet, and braced myself against his departure. He pulled on his arm, then turned and looked at me, surprised. He chuckled. "I promise I'll come back tomorrow, Kairi. Seriously," he assured me.

"I'm not taking any chances," I said slowly.

Taking his hands tenderly in my own, I began to back up toward my bed, kicking my high heels off as I towed him along. He didn't resist me, but his expression was blank and impossible to read.

I released one of his hands to pull the covers back, then sat down eased my legs beneath them. I reclined in blissful caress of my silk sheets, then slid over and pulled on Riku's hand. He didn't budge.

"Uh... Kairi," he said, his voice trembling, "you know that this isn't... Isn't gonna work." His eyes gleamed in the dim light.

I smiled at his uncertainty. "You can sleep on the top," I explained, pulling my sheets around me.

"That's... still fairly... intimate," he said. I could see him blushing bright crimson, now.

_Blushing_? Riku never blushed.

"Oh come on," I giggled, understanding where he came from, but still unwilling to let him leave my side. "It's like a slumber party, is all. I'm not going to bite you."

He continued to look at the floor. "It's not you who'd do the biting," he murmured.

It was silent as we both contemplated this. Then I spoke. "Riku," I said calmly, "we're friends. And I trust you. And this bed is way too huge for one person, anyway," I added with a laugh.

His eyes roved over the massive bed and he smiled sheepishly. "You sure?" He looked at me intently for some sign of hesitation.

"Positive," I said. "You're not going anywhere."

I gave his arm a tug and he sat down on the heavenly surface with a groan of surrender. Very, very slowly, he reclined until his head was next to mine on a pillow. The anxious look on his face was suddenly peaceful.

He gave a deep, contented sigh. "Do you know how long it's been since I slept in a bed?" he suddenly asked.

"How long?" I wondered, still watching his blank face and relaxed form with glowing happiness.

"The night before Sora and I left the island was the last time. Three years ago." He must have felt me flinch beside him, because he didn't continue. Instead, he stretched and yawned.

His face suddenly looked so childlike in its peace that I had to reach out and touch it. I propped myself up on my elbow and tenderly stroked his cheek with my fingers, then ran them through the hair framing his face. His eyelashes trembled, but otherwise he was as still as a stone beneath my feather-light touch.

"Are you nineteen yet, Riku?" I suddenly asked. He turned his head and looked at me as I traced his lips with my index finger.

"Yeah. And you must've just barely turned eighteen, huh? I remember now... your birthday's in April, isn't it?"

"Yep." I smiled and ran my finger along the contours of his ear.

"You've gone and grown up on me," he accused, peeking at me from beneath his long black eyelashes. I could see a curious expression in his eyes, but it faded as quickly as it came.

I kept my response light. "Yeah. But I'll never catch up to you."

He laughed. "I guess that's true."

I couldn't help but marvel at his beauty. I'd always thought Riku was attractive, but… maturity suited him well. His smile was dashing, his eyes were sharp and bright, and his skin was so smooth… except…

I touched the scar on his chin. It was long healed, but still puckered a little around the edges. I frowned. "Where did you get this, Riku?"

His breath caught a little, but he only stared at me dispassionately. His icy eyes were so blank. What was he thinking?

"Who did this to you?" I insisted.

He sighed and looked up at the plastic stars on my ceiling. "Um… I don't remember. It doesn't matter."

"Riku," I whined, "Just tell me."

"I told you, it's nothing," he said, taking my hand off of the dark mar on his skin and then releasing it.

"Why won't you tell me?" I said, gazing at him anxiously.

"Because."

"Because what?"

He huffed a sigh. "Because you don't want to hear it, Kairi."

I stared at him for a long moment, then a painful idea occurred to me. "It wasn't… _him_, was it?"

Riku looked at the ceiling. I took his silence as a confirmation.

"Why?" I groaned. "Why were you two fighting, Riku?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Of course I will," I said irritably. "Tell me what's going on!"

He gritted his teeth together. "No. Not right now, okay? I don't want to talk about the past. I've come a long way to see you, so let's talk about something else. Anything but _Sora_." The name came out as a snarl.

I flinched.

He looked up at me after a moment and must have noticed the pain on my face. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching up and stroking my cheek.

"It's okay," I said. "It just hurts, is all."

We were silent for a long, long time. After a while, I began to stroke Riku's hair thoughtfully. I was beginning to wonder if he'd fallen asleep when he spoke again. "Kairi?"

"Yes?" I replied, a little tentatively.

"You're a good ruler, you know. I talked to some of the people, to get directions to the castle, and they all love you. They keep mentioning a proposal you made…"

I smiled, surprised and gladdened by the turn our conversation had taken. "Yes. They're very patient with me and very kind."

He considered that for a moment. "No," he said, "I don't think they need to be."

"Some people probably do."

He snorted. "You'll be the best, most beautiful queen they've ever had."

"You may be a little prejudiced," I said, laughing and blushing a tiny bit at such glowing praise.

He gave me a cocky grin and said, "I don't think so."

I smiled at him and watched as his eyes softly closed. His breathing gradually relaxed and his mouth fell open just a little bit.

I turned off my light, leaned over, and pressed my lips tenderly against his soft, warm cheek. "Good night, Riku," I whispered, though I knew he was asleep.

I was surprised to feel a movement atop the thin covers. His hand searched along the slippery surface until it found mine, then clutched onto it tightly. It was warm and wide and comforting. I gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Good night, Kairi," he murmured, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

I didn't let myself fall asleep right away. I worried that this was only a dream and that, if I really, actually fell asleep, it would vanish. The very idea was quite terrifying, now that I had him back again.

I could hear his quiet, even breathing beside me. His hand was warm and soft. My eyelids fluttered and I slipped away in the steady, comforting presence of my friend.


	3. Fire and Ice

~o~

3

Fire and Ice

Everything went from warm and comforting to hot, much too hot. Burning. My skin was burning. I wanted to cry out, but I knew that if I did, _he_ would only hurt me more.

His long, crimson hair stuck out in every direction and his green, cat-like eyes shone with anticipation. His teeth gleamed like milky-white fangs in the darkness as he smiled at my attempts to wriggle away. He was like a hungry cat playing with a mouse.

He grabbed me by the ankles and dragged me closer to him. "Where ya going, Kairi?" he sneered.

"Please," I whimpered, "Just stop." There were bright red burns all along my skin which his hands, in their fiery passion, had touched. And now he was trying to unzip my dress, as I'd known he would, eventually.

"Aw, come on, babe, we're just getting warmed up," he said, leering. He grabbed me and I cowered beneath his touch. I'd tried to fight, before… but he'd burnt me. Again and again and again…

"Why?" I whispered. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Well…" He paused and pretended to think it over. "It's partly because I want my best friend back. So something has to be done about Sora. And this is the best way to piss him off, I think…" He leered at me. "Should be easy to turn him into a Heartless after this. And if it doesn't work, well… at least I enjoyed myself."

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, bracing myself for the worst.

Suddenly, there was a shout, a thud, and Axel's hands were gone. My eyes flew open and I saw a tall figure shrouded in black, facing my captor with raised, clenched fists.

"Who are you?" Axel snarled.

The figure didn't respond. Instead, it raised a hand and a portal of darkness appeared to my left.

"Run," A deep, mysterious voice commanded.

I leapt to my feet, ignoring the fiery pain tearing across my skin, and ran into the portal without looking back. Darkness surrounded me, swirling and pulsating, cold and clammy…

There was darkness everywhere. The darkness pulled at my skin, it pulled at my soul… it wanted me for its own. And suddenly, it wasn't there at all… _I_ wasn't there at all.

I could see my own body, encircled by swirling clouds of darkness. It was very young—about fourteen. My hair reached only to my chin, my face was round and sweet, and I was _still_… too still. My body was limp and lifeless. The darkness would overtake it, soon. I wanted to scream, but if I wasn't in my body, then how was I there at all? Did I even have a voice?

And then a pair of bright, aqua eyes shone from somewhere in the blackness. The eyes became a head, a chest, arms, and legs as Riku came closer. He looked young, too—about fifteen. His expression was hardened—far too hardened for a boy so young. But panic widened his eyes as he saw my body, lying there, fading away…

A look of fierce determination spread across his face and in a single bound, he was at my side. He gritted his teeth and thrust his hands into the darkness, directly beneath my body. The darkness swirled, faster and faster around his arms they plunged beneath my lifeless figure.

And then he began to pull me upward, out of the darkness that clung to me so tightly. It seemed as though it were angry now; fronds of it clung to my arms and legs. But Riku was determined…. And as he pulled on me with all his might, the darkness began to release me from its terrible grasp.

And finally I was free. Riku stood there with my limp figure in his arms, his face shining with triumph.

The light that shone from us into the infinite blackness was almost blinding. Riku cradled my head against his chest, then turned and carried me away, deeper into the dark realm...

"Kairi," his voice said, echoing and oddly distant. "Kairi, it's okay! It's okay; I'm here! Stop it! Wake up!"

And suddenly I was in my bed again, tangled and twisted in my sheets. I was covered in sweat and gasping for breath.

Riku was leaning over me with wide, anxious eyes. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said, shuddering and working to sit up, though I was trembling all over.

His mouth was a hard, thin line. "You were whimpering and talking and thrashing around like crazy. I kept shaking you, but you wouldn't wake up."

I was quaking so hard that my teeth were rattling. I reached up to wipe a river of tears from my cheeks. I was startled to find that my skin was as cold as ice. "T-Talking?"

"Yeah…"

"What did I s-s-say?" I stammered.

He gave me an inquisitive look. "Well… just my name, over and over."

"Oh," I said, leaning back and taking a few deep, steadying breaths.

He waited patiently, watching me curiously in the milky moonlight. Finally, after I had calmed down somewhat, he asked, "So… what was it about?"

I looked down at my hands. "What was what about?" I asked evasively. I didn't want to tell him… not everything anyway…

"Your dream, Kairi," he said, placing his fingers beneath my chin and lifting my face. "I think I deserve to know, since I was obviously the main character. I mean, who wouldn't want to dream about me, but still…" He grinned at me. "Kinda creepy."

"Oh brother. You weren't _even_ the main character," I said with a short, unsteady laugh.

His smile faded. "Oh. Well then who was?"

I took a breath, then bit my lip. How could I tell him about Axel? The first part of the dream had been a flashback more or less… a dark part of my past that I never wanted to tell anyone about. Then again… I could just tell him that I'd dreamed about my kidnapping and make it sound as innocent as possible. I doubted that he even knew who the villain was, anyway.

"Axel," I said, trying to sound nonchalant, though the name felt slimy on my tongue.

His reaction caught me totally off guard. Rather than inquiring further, he balled his hands up into fists and narrowed his eyes to slits of hatred. His entire face went pale with rage.

"What did you say?" His voice shook with fury.

I was genuinely terrified of this new, demonic version of Riku. My eyes were wide with fear as I whispered, "Axel," for the second time.

Riku sat back and closed his eyes, but not before I saw icy hatred burning inside them.

"Riku…" I said, tentatively, "What's wrong?"

"_You_ know what's wrong better than anyone." His voice shook. He exhaled heavily. "I guess that explains why you were screaming at first…"

"Wait," I said, desperately trying to catch his eye, "how… how do you know? About… him?"

He seethed in silence.

Suddenly, I had an epiphany. My mouth fell open and my eyes widened with sudden understanding. "Riku…" I breathed, then reached for his arm again, "Riku, was that _you_?!"

"What are you talking about?" He was still chalky-white with fury.

"The man in the black—who saved me. Was it you?"

Riku finally looked up; there was still agony in his eyes. "Yes. It was me. I only wish I'd gotten there sooner." He looked at his hands.

"Wait," I said. "You saved me twice! The first time Axel came for me, on the beach, you opened a portal, and… you were the one who whistled! You called Pluto! And I followed him and ended up in Twilight Town!"

"Yeah, but…" he sighed. "It didn't do a lot of good. He found you there, anyway. I'm… so sorry, Kairi."

"Sorry? What for? You saved me. If it weren't for you, I would have been…" I blinked quickly at the tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

"You pretty much already were… I saw the burns…" Suddenly, his teeth were bared again and his eyes were filled with icy fury. "That dirty bastard. If he hadn't weaseled out of my grasp, I would have killed him with my bare hands, right on the spot…"

He was so furious that he was shaking. I reached out to stroke his arm with my clammy hand. "It's alright. You did what you could... and spared me a lot of grief. So thank you."

He sat there in silence, taking deep, calming breaths. "It's just so… infuriating. The idea of someone hurting you." He closed his eyes. "Just thinking about it… even now… it makes me sick."

"It's _okay_," I said, finding his hand. "It turned out alright, thanks to you. And I owe you my life…" I paused as another idea came to me. "Riku, after our island got swallowed up and I lost my heart, how did you keep my body from fading into darkness? Or turning into a Nobody?"

He looked up at me, surprised at the sudden change of conversation. "I looked for you. For a long time. And I finally found you in the dark realm… with Maleficent's help." He grimaced.

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well… I dreamt about it. I could see my body, lying there… and then you came and picked me up before I faded away…"

He sighed. "I was so scared. I was scared that I'd never see you smile again, or hear you laugh. You were just… limp and lifeless. Once in a while I could prop you into a sitting position or something, but for the most part you were just an empty shell."

I massaged his hand in mine. "Why did you do it? Didn't you ever think that maybe you should just… let me go?"

He stared at me incredulously. "Of course not."

"But what if there'd been no way to get my heart back?" I inquired.

"Kairi," he said, exasperated, "failure was _never_ an option. I was willing to do anything to get you back. I tried stealing hearts… uniting them…breaking them. I learned to use the power of darkness so that I could control the Heartless and gain the power I thought I needed to bring you back. I would _never_ have given up, ever. No matter what."

I was touched. I could only stare at him, speechless, for what felt like an eternity.

"Kairi?" he asked. I could see him raise an eyebrow, even in the dark. He leaned over and turned my lamp on, flooding the room with light.

"I never knew," I finally said in a trembling voice. "I never knew that you cared so much. I always thought you were just jealous of… _him_."

Riku shrugged. "I was, I guess. But that doesn't mean I wasn't terrified of losing _you_."

I smiled at him and gazed into his deep, thoughtful eyes. I owed him so much… why hadn't I ever realized it until now?

I laid down again, with his hand still firmly clasped in my own. My eyelids were heavy with exhaustion.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Riku asked.

I nodded, then smiled at him. "As long as you're here," I said softly.

He smiled back at me, then reached over and turned off my lamp. As the darkness pressed around us, I was no longer afraid—Riku was with me and he'd never let it hurt me. Ever.

As I drifted off, I was suddenly aware of a heavy grating, grinding sound. I wasn't sure if I was asleep, but I definitely couldn't be awake… The sound resonated through my subconscious, then was joined with a fuzzy image. A heavy white door was closing on a perfect, aqua-eyed face.

This memory wasn't mine. But then… whose was it?

"Take care of her," Riku said. Then the door closed.

~o~

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! What the—? Eeeeek!"

I shot up out of bed, my heart pounding, and frantically tried to locate the source of all the panicked screaming. I realized with a start that it was Yuffie. She was standing in the open doorway, her eyes as wide and round as dinner plates, her fingers clutching her face and her breath coming in short, rapid gasps.

I looked down and saw Riku's still, sleeping form beside me, and realized that his fingers were still intertwined with mine.

Aw, crap.

"Princess Kairi," Yuffie said in a low, trembling, sarcastic voice, "I'm ever sorry if this sounds a tad bit disrespectful... but can you _please_ be so kind as to tell me… what the _hell_ is going on here?"

"Shut up, Yuffie, please be quiet!" I begged. "Close the door!"

She just stared.

"That's an order."

Yuffie's eyes didn't leave the sleeping boy, but she slowly reached out, placed a hand on the door, and slammed it shut.

"O-kay," she slowly, steadily. "Now it's your turn, _M'lady_. You've got some explaining to do. Who is _that_, exactly? And why is he in your _bed_?"

I sighed and braced myself for an onslaught of questions. "Yuffie, this is my dear friend Riku."

"Riku?!" She gasped. Her eyes traveled back and forth between us. "You mean _this_ is Riku?!"

"Yeah. He came to see me last night."

Her mouth fell open.

"Yuffie, you can't tell anyone about this. Not a soul. Not even Leon, or Aerith, or anybody. Got it?"

She just stood there like a fish, mouth open, eyes popping.

"Um, some reassurance would be great at this point."

"Kai_ri_," Yuffie breathed, putting a hand against the wall to steady herself. She looked like she was about to pass out. I wondered if I needed to get her a paper bag to breathe into.

"It's okay, Yuffie," I said, laughing. "Calm down."

"Calm down?!" she very nearly shrieked. "You want me to calm down when I find the princess in bed with some kid off the street?"

The smile fell off my face. "In bed—? No... No! Yuffie, it's not like _that._ Look at me, I'm still in my gown from last night, for crying out loud!"

Her eyes fell on the top of my sleeveless blue gown, but then came to rest on our hands, locked sweetly together.

"Riku and I are just friends," I went on. "He needed a place to sleep and I wouldn't let him leave. Now will you please be quiet, Yuffie? You're going to send someone running!"

I felt Riku stir beside me. I looked down at him and found that his eyes were wide open, his eyebrows arched in surprise. "Sorry we woke you," I said soothingly.

He snorted and sat up. Then he cast a scathing look at Yuffie and said, "I knew I shouldn't have stayed."

She came out of her shock, put her hands on her hips, and growled, "Damn right! I don't know who you think you are! Kairi's a princess now!"

"Yuffie!" I snapped, then grabbed Riku's hand as he slid off my bed and stood up to leave. "I asked him to!"

"Well you shouldn't have!" she cried. "What if Chancellor Tsukada found out? What if _Setzer_ found out?!"

I scowled at her. "Then maybe he'd leave and good riddance to him!"

"He'd tell everyone. He'd ruin your reputation."

"Arghh!" I growled, slamming my fist down on the bed. "There's nothing to tell!" I yelled, forgetting my own admonition to be quiet. This was all such a stupid, impossible mess. How had I let this happen?

"No, she's right, Kairi," Riku suddenly said, looking out the window with a bitter expression on his face. "I should go."

"Don't you dare," I said, forcing as much venom into the words as I could.

Yuffie had a hand over her eyes and she was taking deep, even breaths. "No..." she finally managed to say. "No... Riku. You should stay. She's been waiting for you and Sora for so long... you shouldn't go, now."

He looked up at her in surprise, then suspicion.

"Finally, somebody gets it!" I said, slumping back onto my pillows with a sigh of relief. It was nice to know that my one true ally in this world hadn't turned against me, after all.

"Well..." His eyes were still narrowed. He looked at me and said, "I'll come back tonight. I promise, Kairi. Please understand. I can't just stay bottled up in your room all day—I've got to shower and shave and get out and stretch my legs."

I thought about it for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "How will you get out?"

"Same way I got in. I'll just sneak across the grounds and climb the castle walls." He gave me a crooked grin.

"The guards will see you!" Yuffie said crossly.

He rolled his eyes. "I can be _invisible_ when I want to be. And besides, your guards are usually asleep anyway. It'll be easy."

I looked at him, the corners of my mouth turned down with concern.

"Don't worry about me, Kairi," Riku sighed. "I never get caught." He leaned over, brushed my bangs out of the way with one hand, and kissed my forehead sweetly. I smiled and closed my eyes at his touch, though his fingers were almost as rough as his stubbly chin against my skin.

Yuffie growled.

Riku walked across the room, opened my window, then gracefully swung himself outside. He gave me an encouraging smile before disappearing from sight, leaving the window open and an icy breeze flowing in.

"Humph!" Yuffie said, stalking across the floor and slamming it shut.

I sighed and flopped back down on my bed. It would be such a long day, waiting...

"Alright, get up," Yuffie said grumpily. I could tell that she was very, very upset. "You've got a big day planned. You're going on a carriage ride with Setzer."

"What!?" I gasped. "Oh, no! Yuffie, please say you're joking."

"Nope. And you deserve it, missy."

I groaned and covered my face with one hand. "This can't be happening."

"Well it is, so get up," she repeated, walking into my closet to pick out another gown.

I climbed out of bed and steadied myself on my night table. My stomach was already churning at the thought of spending an entire day with Setzer.

Yuffie came out of my closet, carrying a bright teal gown with tiny cap sleeves and a graceful train. She scowled at me, then her eyes raked up and down my figure. "That was a brand new dress. Now just look at it!" she growled.

I looked down at myself. The satin was wrinkled, as well as all the fluffy gauze beneath the skirt.

I scowled back at her. "Oh, _sorry_ about that. I should have just slipped it off and slept in my underwear. _That_ would have been interesting."

Her eyebrows shot up, then with another "Humph!" she ripped the gown off its hanger and tossed it to me.

Before dressing, I went into my spacious, echoing bathroom and took a quick shower. Yuffie waited patiently as I blow-dried my hair.

After I had slipped into the teal dress, she sat me down in a stool and began ripping a brush though my tangled hair. When I winced and asked, "Are you trying to rip all my hair out so you can sell it to Locks of Love?" she only growled and pulled harder.

She braided the hair on top of my head, then wove it all into an intricate knot at the base of my skull. She left a few long, dark red strands out, which she then attacked with her curling iron and bottle of hairspray.

"Doesn't your hair _ever_ curl?" she complained after another ringlet sagged.

"Nope."

Finally she managed to produce a few loose ringlets that were more product than hair. Then she unplugged her iron with satisfaction.

"Your white wedge heels," she said, snapping and pointing to my closet. "And then it's down to breakfast, with you."

I could feel the gloomy expression on my face as I entered the dining hall. Chancellor Tsukada and Setzer both jumped to their feet when they saw me come in. They waited until I had sat down to return to their seats again. Setzer wore another ridiculous looking peacock suit.

"Princess Kairi," he greeted me with a low bow. "Radiant as ever, I see." Last night's events seemed to have been forgotten.

I grimaced.

The morning dragged by and try as I might, I could not concentrate on any of Setzer's babbling today. It was a good thing Chancellor Tsukada was there, or else I would have been called upon to comment. Finally breakfast was over and I took my escape.

I ran up to my room, opened the door, and slammed it shut behind me with a sigh of relief. Then I noticed that Yuffie and Aerith were sitting on my bed, their arms folded and legs crossed. Yuffie was still scowling.

I looked back and forth between them, then sighed. "Yuffie, I told you not to tell anyone."

"I only told Aerith and Leon," she growled, as though that was the best she could do.

I rolled my eyes. "Well? What do you want?" I asked sourly, looking at one of the paintings on the wall rather than the faces of my friends.

Aerith stood up and in her usual benign way, said, "We're just a little confused, Kairi."

"About what?" I wondered, glancing at her.

"Well..." Yuffie stood up and began pacing. "It's like this. We thought that you were waiting for Sora. He's our friend too and we want him to find you again and be happy. But you... you're not being faithful to him." There was accusation in her voice.

"What?" I growled. "I told you, Yuffie it's not like that! Riku and I are _just_ friends!"

"He kissed you," She snapped. "I saw him!"

I scowled. "On the forehead! He's like a brother to me!"

"That's not what it looked like to me," Yuffie said firmly. She turned to Aerith and said, "You should have seen the look on his face. And the way he touched her. There was nothing brotherly about it." She sniffed disdainfully and looked down her nose at me at me. "If Riku had been a _girl_, he wouldn't have touched you like that, even if you were good friends. You two wouldn't have held hands in your sleep, either. Think about it."

Her words stabbed at me, but I couldn't deny them. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Yuffie, that may be a little harsh," Aerith said kindly. She came over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "We don't know all the details, after all."

Yuffie frowned. "I just think Sora deserves better."

They waited for me to speak for what felt like eternity. Their silence hurt more than their accusations. I stood rooted to the spot, shock paralyzing me. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

"You don't know anything," I mumbled, my voice shaking with anger. "And maybe you should mind your own business, for once."

"What?" Yuffie growled, her fiery temper flaring suddenly. "It _is_ my business."

"No it's not," I said angrily. Aerith looked startled; she was such a sweet-tempered, quiet person. She didn't like confrontations, and Yuffie and I hadn't ever sniped at each other like _this._ Aerith looked at the floor.

"It is too my business 'cause Sora and I are friends," Yuffie repeated, drawing herself up with pride. Something about that set me off.

"Oh yeah?" I sneered, and suddenly I was on my feet and my hands were trembling with an unfamiliar fury. "You're his 'friend' huh? You've loved him since before you can remember? You spent nearly every waking moment with him for nine years? You were chased in and out of portals of darkness, looking for him risking your life for him? You want him so bad that you go sleep every night with tears running down your face because he's not there?"

They gaped at me.

When I spoke again my voice was quieter, more controlled. "Don't _ever_ say those things again. You are _not_ Sora's friend. You have no idea what it's like to be Sora's friend. You'll never know until he's been taken away from you more times than you can count. And you have no idea what you're talking about."

A very, very long and awkward moment passed. I looked at the floor.

"Come on, Yuffie," Aerith finally said in her patient, gentle way. "She wants to be alone."

Obviously.

I heard them leave and close the door behind them. They were so sure of their theory, so quick to criticize. What did they know, anyway?

And so what if my feelings toward Riku were something more than friendship, now? Wasn't that better than having no one at all?

And what if Sora, who I was so patiently waiting for, never showed up? I knew that the love I felt for Riku was nothing compared to the burning passion I felt for Sora, even after all this time. But didn't I deserve happiness in some form, if not another? And if I didn't give myself that, I'd end up with Setzer, for crying out loud.

Was that what they wanted? Was that what _Sora_ wanted?

I wouldn't let myself believe it.

I could feel something now, something that was never meant to be. My heart, which had always been so devotedly whole, seemed to be splitting at the seam. I tried to ignore the feeling, but it wouldn't go away.


	4. Light

~o~

4

Light

"Look at all your faithful subjects, Kairi, darling. They're waving to us." Setzer raised his hand waved back, beauty pageant-style. He was positively glowing; he loved attention.

I was sitting on the seat beside him, glaring at the floor. Ever since I'd heard the shout: "It's Princess Kairi! And that guy who's gonna be our king!" I had retreated into my turtle-shell of indifference to wait it out.

People were following us in a crowd, trying to get a glimpse of the lovering royal couple inside the carriage. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to drop dead.

This was far worse than even I had anticipated. What would my subjects think of me now that I was giving this idiot the crown? Of course, they didn't know he was an idiot yet, but still… it's not like it would be a secret for long.

We followed the main road for a while and the throng became even larger. Setzer smiled and waved, smiled and waved. He even blew them a kiss once or twice. I almost gagged.

"I do believe I will enjoy ruling this kingdom," he eventually said, sitting back in the seat. We had finally escaped the mob and were on the roadway to the castle, past the gates. "I already seem to be quite popular," he crowed. Then more doubtfully, "Or maybe it is my beautiful fiancé they love."

"Fiancé?" I gasped. "We're not engaged!"

He didn't seem perturbed. "Oh, how silly of me," he said, "I almost forgot! Here darling, this is for you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box that was studded with jewels. Then he opened it. Inside on a purple satin pillow was the largest diamond ring I had ever seen. The diamond was so gargantuan that it looked ridiculous and top-heavy. Just like him.

He grabbed my hand and, ignoring my efforts to pull it away, slid the humongous rock over my fingernail and onto the ring finger on my left hand. It looked so absurd that, for a moment, I was certain this must be a joke. But his irritating, oblivious smile told me it was just another truth that was nearly impossible for me to accept. He had just proposed to me—and taken my silence as a yes!

I couldn't believe it. I just stared at him.

"You are speechless, I see," he said, flashing every one of his teeth at me. "How adorable."

I finally found my voice. It shook as I said, "Alright. I know that we're betrothed and everything. But that does _not_ mean that I have to go through with this." I wrenched my hand from his grasp, then grabbed the ring in my other hand and pulled it off. "I am a human being and I have a choice," I said.

His confusion and disbelief were almost comical. "A... choice? What do you mean by that, darling?"

I stomped my foot. "What on earth do you think I mean? I don't love you! In fact, you drive me insane! And I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man in all the worlds!"

His eyes were round; the look on his face clearly said that he had never received such a spiteful insult in his entire life. For a moment, I almost regretted voicing it.

He had never doubted himself before, never paused to consider his hold on me. As the carriage lurched to a stop in front of the castle, he was still frozen in place, his mouth agape. I threw the ring on the seat and flung the door open. Then I leapt down before the footman could help me.

I ran up the castle steps as fast as my shoes would permit.

Chancellor Tsukada gave me a confused glance, then went to see why Setzer hadn't followed me. I knew I had only seconds to act.

I ran into the kitchens before he could come after me. There I leaned against the wall, panting.

"What now, Kairi?" Leon's voice asked, amused. He was leaning up against the countertop. He'd obviously been conversing with the cooks. Yuffie stood on the other end of the room. She gave me a suspicious glance. Aerith was nowhere to be seen.

I glanced around me. "Um... I just told Setzer I wouldn't marry him. That's all."

"WHAAAAT?" The kitchen was full of exclamations. Even boring old Rufin stood wide-eyed.

"Kairi, you can't just say _no_," Leon said. "You're under a contract!"

"Well I did."

Leon groaned and put his face in his hands. "You're dishonoring Ansem The Wise, you know," he finally said.

I glowered. "I don't care about Ansem The Wise," I said, ignoring the looks on every face in the room. "He left me in this mess and so I don't see how he could blame me for trying to get out of it!"

"He wasn't trying to leave you in a mess," Leon said. "He just wanted you to be happy. He loved you."

"Leon," Yuffie growled. I noticed a look on her face that clearly said, _don't say another word_.

I stared at him, curious at Yuffie's reaction. Was there something more to this story than I'd originally thought?

"What?" I asked. "What do you mean, he loved me? I thought that he just picked me to be princess when I was a baby."

"He did," Yuffie hastily interjected. "That's what made you special to him."

I could see a bunch of conspiratorial looks flying around the room; My eyes narrowed. What was it they were trying to keep from me? I gave Leon a questioning look.

He sighed. "I don't see what the point is in keeping this from her anymore," he finally said.

"No, Leon!" Yuffie snapped. "He didn't want her to know! He didn't want anyone to!"

"I know," he said. "But it's the only way to make her understand."

Yuffie's face turned white.

"Kairi," Leon said, turning to me. "Ansem The Wise didn't just randomly choose you off the streets to be his heir."

"W-what do you mean?" I asked, my voice trembling and my heart pounding.

Leon and Yuffie exchanged anxious glances. "You were born royal," he said slowly. "Ansem's _true_ heir."

I swallowed loudly. "So... we're related?" I had never known my real parents.

"Yes..." Leon said slowly, hesitantly. Finally he sighed and said, "You're his daughter, Kairi."

No. My world was turning inside out. My head was spinning. I couldn't get a grip on myself. How was I supposed to, when I didn't even know myself anymore?

"Catch her; she's going to faint!" Yuffie cried.

I felt Leon's hands on my back as my legs buckled for the second time in the last twenty-four hours. Then everything went black.

~o~

"Wake up, chile'," Molly's voice was saying. "You gonna be just fine. Open your eyes."

I did as she told me. Her anxious face came into focus. Yuffie was standing there, too, and Leon still held me. I wondered how long I'd been under.

"Are you okay?" Yuffie wondered. Her anger had evaporated and her eyes were filled with concern.

"Yeah," I said, trying to stand up without wobbling. "I'm fine."

"Take it easy," Leon cautioned. "You look pretty woozy."

"I just can't believe this," I groaned, rubbing my head. They instantly knew what I was talking about.

"It _is_ a lot to take in," Yuffie admitted.

"So…" I wasn't exactly sure where to begin. "So I'm… a _real_ princess?"

Leon snorted. "No, you're a _mermaid _princess," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Yuffie glared at him.

"I thought I was just a 'princess of heart' or whatever," I said. My mind was still in a haze.

Yuffie shook her head. "No, you're a princess by birthright—just as much of a 'real' princess as Snow White or Aurora or Jasmine…"

"How—" I swallowed, unsure of how to phrase my next question. "How long have you _known _this?"

They exchanged nervous looks. "Um... a while," Leon finally admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"It's like I said, Kairi," Yuffie gently replied, "Ansem didn't want you to know."

"Do the people know?"

She frowned. "Some of them. But it's not a big deal. It doesn't change anything."

I closed my eyes. "I'd have liked to have known, either way."

She looked down at the floor. "Sorry."

"Do you see what I meant, though?" Leon suddenly asked. "About respecting Ansem The Wise? It's more than that. It's honoring his wishes... for his daughter, the princess. That's really what this whole Setzer thing comes down to."

"How could he do this to me?" I wondered, after a long pause. "If he loved me, why did he set me up with this loser?"

Yuffie put a hand on my shoulder. "He only knew Setzer's father, the king of Albrook. Setzer was only ten years old when the agreement was made and Ansem had no way of knowing what he would be like when he grew up."

"Then he should have left it to me," I said sharply.

"Yes," Yuffie agreed.

"Who was my mother?" I asked after a moment.

Yuffie and Leon looked at each other again. Then Yuffie murmured, "We don't know. No one does. All we know is she died giving birth to you... According to Ansem The Wise. After you were born, he took you to his mother. She raised you."

"His mother? Like my grandmother?" I asked, then looked at the floor. "She must be dead, too."

"Actually... no," Leon said, smiling gently. "Your grandmother is alive. She lives in another world now... and she comes to visit her son now and then, but has yet to see you, because Chancellor Tsukada decided it would be best if you didn't meet her again."

I gasped. "I... I think I remember her!" I cried. A memory of the castle's sun-filled library came to mind, where a wrinkled, yet happy-looking old woman sat on a chair and told me of a time when the first darkness was born in people's hearts.

"Wait..." I murmured, "what do you mean, 'she comes to visit her son'? Ansem The Wise is dead."

"Yes," Yuffie said. "But if you recall, his brother still lives."

I gasped again as the pieces fell into place. "Chancellor Tsukada is my _uncle_?"

Leon laughed. "Small world, isn't it?"

I flopped down in one of the plastic kitchen chairs. This was just too much. I couldn't take it in.

"Chaila, will you fix her something to eat?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah, yeah. She do look awful pale."

"It'll all be okay, Kairi," Yuffie said, stroking my cheek. "You'll see."

Conflict raged inside me. I couldn't bring myself to believe her.

"You'll make the right choice. It's in your blood."

"But what _is_ the right choice?" I desperately wanted to know.

She smiled at me and shrugged. "You're the one who's supposed to figure that one out."

I sighed.

~o~

Chancellor Tsukada was waiting for me at the dining room table, alone. His eyes fell on me as I tapped my way across the tile.

I sat down at the table, but didn't touch anything. I could tell there was a storm brewing.

"That was... quite an afternoon, wasn't it?" He asked after a long moment of silence. "Quite a show you put on, huh?" I could tell he was furious.

I took a deep breath before answering. "He deserved it. He was arrogant and _way_ too pushy."

Chancellor Tsukada stood up and slammed his fist on the table, making the dishes rattle. "Do you have any idea how upset he is? You two have a duty to this world and I will not let you shirk it!"

"It's _my_ life!" I cried out, affronted. "And I can't marry someone that I don't love!"

"_Love_?" Chancellor Tsukada said, throwing his hands in the air. "Royalty does not marry for love! We marry for social status! And you are no exception to that rule, Kairi!"

I bit my lip and my vision blurred an infinitesimal amount. "Thanks for the information," I said quietly. "Though it's not exactly what I'd expect from my own uncle."

I heard his breath catch. A long moment passed between us.

"Why did you keep it from me?" I finally asked, looking up.

He seemed to be a little stunned. "I… thought it would be best," he eventually said. Then, "How did you…?"

"Everyone knew but me," I said slowly. "I guess I was bound to find out some time."

"Then you know everything?" He asked.

I nodded.

Chancellor Tsukada looked at the table. I watched as he took the edge of the tablecloth in his hands and fingered it thoughtfully. His mouth was a hard, twitching line, so I knew that he was angry or at least irritated.

Finally he spoke. "Well then. You'll see a new importance in your duty to your country, I'm sure. After all… it's what your father wanted."

"Then maybe he was just as bad as you are," I said with a grimace. "And maybe I don't owe him anything."

"What about the people?" He asked, eyebrow raised. "Are you going to deny them the privileges of having the king that Ansem The Wise chose for them so many years ago?"

That tugged at my heartstrings. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

"Think about it," he said shrewdly. "I'm sure you'll change your mind."

I looked at the floor. "Maybe…" I murmured. But I was completely lost.

What on earth was I going to do?

~o~

"Riku!" I gasped as I felt the familiar set of arms wind around me in the darkness. "You scared me!"

He laughed. "I told you I would come back, didn't I?"

"Yeah," I smiled up at him. My eyes had adjusted now and I could see the outline of his face in the dim light. "But you could just turn on the light, you know."

I felt him shrug. "Didn't want to take any chances."

"Mmmm."

It felt so, so wonderful to be held. To be wrapped in the embrace of someone that I loved so dearly. The warmth and the whisperings of his long hair against my skin made me feel like I was at home, where I belonged. Despite my confusion, I was glad that he was back. So very, very glad.

"I... uh... saw you in the city today," Riku suddenly said.

I looked up at him in alarm. "You were a part of that awful crowd?"

"I saw you from a distance. Well..." he paused and I detected a sour note in his voice. "I saw the prince, anyway."

I held onto him. "They're forcing me to marry him. We're betrothed."

"That's what someone said. I... I hope... I mean..." He squared his shoulders. "Congratulations."

"What?" I gasped, noticing that he was looking away from me. "No! Riku, I don't _want_ to marry him. Really, I don't even like him. In fact… sometimes I think I hate him."

He looked mildly surprised. "Why are you going to marry someone you hate?"

"I told you, they're forcing me to."

He raised an eyebrow at me. The idea was obviously foreign to him.

Which reminded me… "Um... I have something that I want to tell you," I said. "Something else. And I was wondering if you already knew... I'm..." I swallowed, fighting the moisture that seeped up beneath my eyelids. "Riku, Ansem The Wise was my father."

I listened to the steady beat of his heart for a long time. "I didn't know," he finally said. "He never told me."

I waited for him to say more. When he didn't, I said, "You don't sound surprised, though."

He sighed and his arms tightened around me. "I kind of wondered, because I knew that he was the previous ruler of this place and you were a princess from here. It seemed to make sense."

"I was always told that I was hand chosen to be his heir," I explained.

"Huh. I wonder why they lied to you."

I sighed. "Me too."

"He mentioned you in his reports. You and Naminé. But not in a fatherly way."

I shivered. "Maybe he was ashamed of me."

"No," Riku said. He began to rub his hands up and down my arms. "In one of his reports, he said that your heart was so pure that no Heartless could be born from it. How could he possibly be ashamed to have a daughter like that?"

I curled up against him and sighed. He was so good at making me feel better.

"Hey. It'll be alright," he said softly.

"I don't want to marry Setzer," I said, voice trembling. "They say I have to, to honor my father's wishes, but sometimes I think I'd rather die than marry him…"

Riku laughed softly in my ear. "Then don't."

"I wish it were that simple."

"It is. Maybe you should just take Sora's advice and follow your heart."

I flinched.

"Just be who you are, Kairi," he murmured. He reached up and rested his hand on the back of my head. Then his searching fingers found the pins that held my bun in place and he pulled them out, one by one, until my dark red hair tumbled halfway down my back, long and lush and familiar. I smiled as he pulled his fingers through it. Then I leaned against his hand.

He was right. I felt better already.

"So where have you been today?" I asked, closing my eyes with contentment.

He continued to stroke my hair. "Well... I went to one of the diners on main street and got some food. I talked to this old guy there—about you and... Setzer. The whole town's buzzing about it, apparently. Then I went to your friend Cid's shop in Borough. I kinda just bummed around mostly. I don't really like it here, no offense. It brings back bad memories."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," I said, frowning. "That was a hard time for you... in Hollow Bastion. I'd forgotten."

"It's really different now, I'll give you that. This castle looks a lot nicer. But still." He shuddered.

"I was there too, remember?"

"Yeah, it wasn't much fun for you either—but you probably don't remember much about it, anyway."

I couldn't agree with that. It had been the place where I had found Sora again.

"Why don't you stay here tomorrow?" I asked. "You'd be much more comfortable. I'd bring you food and everything. You could even take a bubble bath if you wanted; I've got a tub the size of a small swimming pool."

He laughed. "Sounds great, but I think I'd rather go skinny dipping in the river than get caught in your tub—especially by that crazy chick with the black hair."

We laughed together and he held me close. We were silent now, merely enjoying each other's company, the company that we'd craved for so very, very long. His hair tickled my face and neck as he whispered words of contentment in my ear. It made me feel cherished in some simple, pleasant way.

He began to hum a tune that I immediately recognized from our childhood on the island. It had a very calming effect on me.

In that moment, I was happy. What had I ever done to deserve such bliss, such love from anyone, let alone Riku? I mean, where had that come from?

I should have pushed him away, for his own good, and mine too. But such a thing didn't really seem possible, anymore.

~o~

He left early in the morning, before Yuffie came in to wake me up. As I held his hand and begged him to stay, he made me the same promise: "I'll come back tonight, Kairi. You know I will."

Yuffie came in about an hour later with a suspicious look on her face. With narrowed eyes, she crept into my room, then dashed into my closet and bathroom. She even crawled under my bed. Looking for Riku. I rolled my eyes.

"He's not here."

She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Oh yeah? Where is he, then?"

I shrugged.

"I see you slept in your gown again."

I looked down at the crumpled teal dress and sighed. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to the laundress and your seamstress."

I shook my head, then went to take my morning shower. After I was finished, I went directly into my closet with a towel wrapped around my body.

"What are you doing?" Yuffie demanded, holding up the white cocktail dress that she had picked out for me in one hand.

I came out with my favorite mini-skirt in one hand and a pink tank top slung over my arm. "Choosing my own clothes. I'm tired of all those dresses."

"Oh, no you don't. Chancellor Tsukada will flay me alive."

"No," I said, shrugging one shoulder, "he'll flay _me_ alive. You don't have to worry about yourself."

"Humph."

I got dressed and ran a comb through my hair. When I looked in the mirror, I could see myself again—the girl that I had known back in Destiny Islands, the one who was so sure of who she was. She would be the one who would be making the choice.

"You look better," Yuffie admitted as I came out of my bathroom. "Do you... know what you're going to do?"

"Not yet," I said. "But it will come to me when I'm ready to accept it."

She gave me a tiny smile. "See? I told you that you would make the right choice."

I nodded, but there was a lump in my throat.

~o~

Setzer and Chancellor Tsukada looked nothing short of shocked when I came flip-flopping, rather than tapping, into the dining hall. I held my hands loosely at my sides rather than folded neatly in front of me, as I'd been taught. My long, dark red hair fell freely about my face.

"Ahem, excuse us for a minute, Your Highness," Chancellor Tsukada said, leaping to his feet and dashing toward me. He grabbed my arm and began to tow me toward the door.

"What—are—you—wearing?!" Chancellor Tsukada hissed as soon as we were out of sight and hearing range.

"_My_ clothes."

He rubbed his forehead with one hand, as though he had a migraine. "What are you talking about? The gowns are yours as well."

"Not in the same sense," I said calmly. "This is who I am."

"No, no, no!" He groaned. "You look like a commoner! Do you have any idea what you're doing? You're ruining your image!"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I'm being honest."

"Honest?"

"Yes. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go take a walk with Setzer. We'll be back later."

"You—but—what do you—what are you —"

He was still stuttering as I walked away.

"Setzer?" I said. He started as I walked over to him.

"Yes?" he asked gingerly.

"Would you walk for a minute? I want to talk to you."

"Of—of course," he said, his eyes raking up and down my casually clad figure. He got slowly to his feet and followed me.

We walked out to the gardens and the morning sun glowed in the sky, chasing away the chill and resting softly on my skin. I held my face toward the sky and closed my eyes.

"So... What did you want to talk about... Kairi?" Setzer asked, watching me like one watches a Jack-in-the-box—just waiting for me to do something unexpected.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved yesterday," I said, still facing the sun. "I guess I overreacted. It wasn't very nice of me."

He was silent for a moment. "Well. Erm... apology accepted, I suppose."

"Thank you."

A bluebird sailed overhead, singing. I smiled as it fell and landed on the outstretched finger of a nearby marble statue. It looked at the statue's blank face in a comically speculative way, then seemed to decide that it was born of a very skilled sculptor rather than a human mother. I laughed.

Setzer gave me a strange look.

We walked along the pathway in silence until we arrived at a gorgeous fountain surrounded by flowers. One particular patch of them caught my attention; I'd always loved daisies and these were arranged in sumptuous clusters of reds and yellows. I bent down and plucked a few. Then I spoke.

"Yesterday you proposed to me and I declined," I said. "I would like to take it back, however… for now. If you could let me postpone my decision, I would be very grateful."

"Postpone?" He wondered aloud. "What—what are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for an answer to come to me," I said after a pause. "I'm following my heart."

"Following your... heart?"

"Yup."

He looked a little confused; maybe he was picturing an indifferent lump of flesh, pumping blood through the body rather than a capsule of human emotion. "How would your _heart_ know anything?" He asked, frowning.

"Because it's filled with light," I said softly. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I wondered where they'd come from. They were oddly familiar…

I could tell that Setzer didn't understand. Finally he shrugged his shoulders and steered the conversation into less complicated waters. "Well… let's go in and get our breakfast."

"Okay," I said slowly, shaking my head as though to clear it of the words that had so suddenly popped up out of nowhere.

When I stood up, I could see my reflection in the pool of crystalline water just beyond the flowerbed. And I was pleasantly surprised. I looked not only serene, but self-assured standing there with a bouquet of flowers in my hands. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply of their sugary aroma.

And suddenly, I was giving them to someone else.

"_Here_," I said, holding them out in front of me.

My voice sounded tiny and oddly high pitched. The memory was so faded that I had no idea who I was actually talking to. But whoever she was, her voice was gentle and almost nurturing.

"_Are these for me_?" she asked. She was kneeling before me, so she must have been very tall… or maybe I was just very short.

I nodded. "_I picked you some flowers. Thank you for saving me!"_

"_Oh, they're lovely_," she said. "_You're so sweet_."

"_My name's Kairi_," I offered, leaning forward and linking my hands together behind my back. "_Nice to meet you_."

"_Nice to meet you too_," the woman said, with obvious sincerity. "_I'm Aqua_."

And suddenly the memory was so vivid, it was like I was really there. I could remember everything about Aqua—how her eyes were bright and penetrating and sheaves of dark blue hair curved around her gentle, comely face.

"_Kairi, about that light_—" she began.

"_Kairi_!" A familiar call interrupted.

I whirled around. "_Oh! Grandma_!" I said. I realized that the elderly woman was standing at the top of the steps. She must have been looking for me.

"_Wait, Kairi_," Aqua said, "_just a minute_…"

She reached forward and touched the pendant at the end of my necklace with two long, slender fingers. As soon as she touched it, it glowed like a star; I could feel my eyes widening in amazement.

"_I just cast a magic spell on you_," Aqua said softly. "_One day, when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe_."

I looked up. "_Thanks_," I said, beaming. But I was young enough that my mind still hovered around the pretty light that emanated from the necklace rather than the actual power that it held.

The light! I was so excited to show Grandma; she loved the light! Which reminded me of a story she always used to tell me...

"_There you are_," Grandma said in her patient, matronly way. I hurried to her side. "_It's time to go_," she said. It was easy to see that I'd loved her; when she spoke, I was immediately flooded with feelings of warmth and comfort.

"'_Kay_," I chimed in a cheery little voice. Then I realized—I'd forgotten to say goodbye to my new friend! "_Oh—bye_!" I said, turning and waving to Aqua.

She chuckled a little at my enthusiasm, then waved back. Her smile, warm and bright, was the last thing I saw.

"Uh, Kairi? Kairi? Hello…?"

Setzer's strangely distant voice cut through my mind like a knife.

And then all the colors, faces and voices were gone, like flower petals carried in the wind—flashing before my eyes for an instant, then flying away into the pale, blank sky that was as empty as my vat of childhood memories.

And then I was standing in the garden with Setzer. My bouquet of daisies was on the ground at my feet.

Almost instinctively, my fingers curled around the milky-white pendant hanging at my collarbone. "The light of another," I whispered. "Sora? …Riku?"

"What'd you say, Kairi?"

I turned around. Setzer looked even more confused than before; I wondered how long he'd been trying to get my attention. "Um…" I said, "Nothing."

"Right," he said, running a hand over his face. "Well, are you… ready to leave yet?"

I looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. Suddenly I whirled around a scooped up the daisies—I could dry them between the pages of a book and keep them somewhere where I could always look at them, whenever I needed to remember…

"Light," I said softly. My fingers closed around the pendant once more.


	5. We Follow

~o~

5

We Follow

"Going to bed already?" Yuffie wondered, raising an eyebrow at me.

I was headed toward the staircase. "Yep, I'm tired," I said innocently.

She looked at her watch. "You're early. You might be waiting for him a while."

Wait—she knew what was going on? And she was okay with it? I stared at her with wide eyes.

She laughed. "Sorry about the way I acted before," she said, her eyes warm and friendly. "I misjudged him. Riku's a nice kid. I can see why you would want to hang out with him."

I gaped at her. "How do you—"

We heard footsteps.

"Well," Chancellor Tsukada interrupted us by coming around the corner. His tone was pleased. "Well."

I looked up as he approached me from across the hallway. Yuffie excused herself with a tiny bow.

"Did you have a good time with Setzer tonight?"

I shrugged. "It was alright. We fed the birds on the castle steps."

His eyebrows shot up. "You... fed... _birds_? Why?"

I laughed. "I don't think every date has to be extravagant. And I didn't feel like going anywhere."

"Well... what did he think about it?"

I pondered that for a moment. "I think he liked it. He was just so... quiet."

Chancellor Tsukada rolled his eyes to the heavens and sighed. "Well, I must admit that is an improvement."

I laughed.

"Did you tell him you would marry him?"

"No," I said indifferently.

He frowned. "Why?"

"Because I'm not ready for that yet. I doubt that I'll ever be, but at least I'm giving it a chance."

Chancellor Tsukada gave me a strange look, then turned to leave. "Don't take too long," were his parting words.

~o~

"Riku?" I whispered into the darkness.

There was no response. I walked slowly through the nothingness, waiting to feel his touch or hear his voice…

I was alarmed when I reached my nightstand and only cold air surrounded me. I turned my lamp on and whirled around, but there was nothing to see. He wasn't there.

I shivered in my tiny tank top, longing for the blanket of his arms.

I knew I shouldn't. I had no right to.

And yet for some reason, my stomach was full of butterflies as I made my way into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. When I was finished, I walked back into my bedroom almost hopefully, but to my dismay, it was just as empty as before.

I opened the window as wide as it would go. The night air was even colder than the nothingness and my teeth began to chatter. Then, with nothing else to do, I went and sat down on my bed.

Suddenly, with the agility of a cat, he swung in through the window and landed on the carpet with a dull thud. His eyes were bright, his cheeks red from the cold.

"Riku!" I cried, running to him.

He hugged me tight, then released me suddenly. "Well, what do you think?" he asked, spinning on the spot.

I gasped. "Riku! Your hair!"

"Like it?"

"I... yeah, it's nice," I said, reaching up and running my fingers through the wispy strands of silver that reached only to his shoulders, now. He wore crisp new jeans and a white T-shirt that his muscles strained against.

He laughed at my inspection. "I went to Cid's shop again and you'll never guess who I met there."

"Who?"

"That crazy—uh, I mean—Yuffie. You know, your lady-in-waiting."

"Oh," I said. Then something dawned on me. "That would explain it."

"What?"

"She told me that she decided you're not an emo brat, after all," I teased, grinning and peeking up at him from beneath my eyelashes.

He laughed loudly—a single-noted sound that made me giggle, too. Then he flashed a smile at me and, still chortling, said, "Yeah, well she's not so bad, either. She's the one who cut my hair."

I touched it again. "It reminds me of when we were little. This was the way you always had it."

"Yeah." After a moment, his smile faded and said, "So… you think it makes me look like a little kid?" He ran a hand self-consciously through the wispy ends.

I laughed; how absurd. "No. Riku, you _never_ looked like a little kid—to me, or anyone else."

He looked puzzled for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"You've always been… too mature for your age. You really never were a little kid. Not in the normal sense."

After a moment, a self-satisfied look spread across his face. "Huh," he said dispassionately, but I could see that what I'd said had pleased him, though I hadn't really meant it as a compliment.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. "So what did you and Yuffie talk about?" I asked as my blanket of protection came over me again.

He laughed. "Guess."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

He hugged me tighter and I felt him rest his chin on the top of my head. "You're all I talk about anymore. You're all I ever think about."

I stiffened and pulled away from me for a brief moment. My heart began to pound unevenly. I could feel the seam running down the middle starting to split again. I knew what was going on; I'd known it from the start. It was so stupid of me to think I could deny it. If I let this go on any longer, I'd never be able to dig myself out.

"Kairi," Riku eventually said. His voice was so low and serious that I knew his thoughts were—unfortunately—in tune with mine. "What does... this... feel like to you?"

He was still holding me, his face pressed against mine. No, no, no… this could not be happening. It just couldn't.

It took me a moment to answer. "It feels... good," I admitted. I bit my lip.

"In what way?"

Crap. I blushed. I knew he could feel the heat from my face on his. I said, "Nice. Like... it's nice to have my friend back again. I missed you so much."

"But that's all?" His voice was low and attractive.

My resolve began to crumble; I hated to cause him pain. And he deserved my honesty. "No," I said softly. "No, that's not all."

A tear escaped my eye and dashed down my cheek.

Something very soft and warm brushed up against the corner of my mouth, removing the sparkling bead of moisture, then pressed ever so gently against my skin. I held my breath. It was so hard not to meet the lips that so longingly searched for mine.

I sighed and Riku tucked a strand of my hair lovingly behind my ear. "I'm... so sorry," he muttered.

"What for?" I wondered, composing myself.

"This."

The agonizing splitting of the seam returned in full force. It ripped, it tore, it bled freely. How could this be happening? And yet I knew that I deserved it.

"I'm sorry too," I said, watching the flash of pain that flitted across his face. "But… what else is there to do? It's… almost too late."

"I know," he said. "Too late for both of us."

"Yep."

He held me. His body began to tremble.

"Shhhh," I soothed him and stroked his cheek with my right hand. "Shhhh. It's gonna be okay."

"How can you say that?" he asked, agonized. "Don't you feel like you're going to bleed to death?"

"Yes," I answered simply.

"Aren't you afraid that Sora would hate us if he knew?"

"Yes," I repeated.

"This is wrong," he moaned.

"Yes."

I could see his eyes roll, even in the darkness. "So how is it going to be alright, Kairi? You tell me."

I laughed and he looked at me with blatant disbelief. "Because we're following our hearts," I said. "They're not gonna lead us off a cliff."

He snorted. I knew that for someone as independent as Riku, the idea of following _anything_ off the edge of a cliff was unfathomable. But what else was there to do at this point?

"So... what now?" he wondered aloud.

"We follow," I answered, pressing my face against his neck.

After a long moment of contemplation, he leaned over and touched my lamp. With a _click_ we were in our own world. He took my right hand and placed it gently upon his shoulder. Then he grasped my left in his right and wound his fingers in mine. He placed his left hand on my waist and I could see his smile in the moonlight that was now streaming through the window.

He started to hum again—that same familiar tune. We danced around in a tight little circle. I rested my head on his shoulder and felt the steady vibrations of his voice beneath my cheek.

The moon lit our dance floor and in the pearly light I could see everything on his face that I knew must be reflected on mine; it was as though I was looking into a mirror.

Suddenly, the humming stopped. Riku took a breath.

"Kairi?" He murmured.

"Hmm?"

We were still dancing in our perfect little circle. I was happy, yet I was sad. I was afraid of what the future would bring.

"A couple nights ago you asked me why I saved you," he said quietly. "Why I pulled you out of the darkness. Remember?"

I pulled away from him, so that I could see his face more easily. "Yeah."

"I told you why. But I don't think you really got the full meaning."

We'd stopped dancing. Now we just stood there, staring into each other's eyes.

"The full meaning?" I wondered why he was suddenly looking at the floor.

"Yeah."

I took Riku's chin between my fingers and lifted his head so that I could see his eyes. He looked into mine and in that moment, I could feel everything that he was feeling.

"What was it?" I whispered, afraid of the answer.

He smiled, a little bitterly, and said, "It _is_ too late. Already. Because what I was trying to tell you was… I love you. I always have."

~o~

"Shhh," Riku whispered. I realized that my sobs had grown into wails. "Shhh. It'll be alright."

But it seemed that I would never be able to stop—surely I would sob and sob until there was not a drop of moisture left in my body.

I looked up at him pitifully. "How can you say that?" I repeated his question. The tears that fell from my eyes could not be dammed up. It felt like the warm moisture that ran down my face in rivers was surely my heart's red blood—surely it was gushing from my every pore.

A few minutes ago, I'd told him that we should follow our hearts; that they wouldn't lead us off a cliff… but now the realization hit me like a brick wall: they already _had_.

He wasn't Sora. He'd never _be_ Sora. And he loved me. I'd never wanted this and neither had he.

And so I sobbed and sobbed into his shoulder, for what could have been hours or days or months; I wasn't sure. Finally, I became aware that I was lying in my bed; Riku's arms were still wrapped around me. The pillow that my cheek rested upon was completely soaked.

"Riku?" I said. My voice was so hoarse.

"Yeah?"

"What now?"

He thought about that for a moment.

"We follow," he finally said, firmly.

"You sure?" I whispered. "It just might kill us, you know."

"I know." He gave a humorless laugh. "Believe me, I know."

I searched for his face and found it with my hand. As I stroked his cheek, he stroked mine.

"Patch me up again, Riku," I suddenly was begging him. "Like you did before."

He moaned. "I'm not your doctor, Kairi. I'm your executioner."

"I won't ever believe that," I blubbered. There was nothing intentional about the agony he was inflicting on me now.

Abruptly, he pulled away from me and sat up.

"Make it better," I begged. "Please."

"I don't know how," he said, looking away from me into the darkness. Then, as suddenly as he had pulled away, he leaned over me and placed his arm on the other side of my body. His face hung over mine and his bright blue eyes were intense.

We stared at each other for a long moment. Then I whispered, "Is this gonna hurt, doctor?"

"For a second. But then it's gonna go away—all of it," he breathed. He chuckled darkly. "It'll be like a shot of morphine."

"Then let's get on with it."

He gazed into my eyes, then complied. With the softest, most loving brutality I'd ever felt, he pressed his lips to mine.

They were hot. They burned me. It hurt. Oh, it hurt so bad. Like sticking frozen fingers into a steaming bowl of water. It burned, it smarted, it felt so _wrong_. Why had I asked for this?

And then, something changed. One half of my heart, which had been lying there bleeding dejectedly, began sew itself together again. It was not being reunited with its other half—that could never happen. What was could never be again. But a new seam was forming, one that would staunch the bleeding from at least that half and dull the fiery pain.

As my lips began to move with his, the seam grew longer and longer, sealing the blood inside. I held his face in my hands and tasted his skin, the seam reached the top of my gory wound and what was left of my heart gave an uneven thud.

Again and again, our lips met. I wasn't sure where Riku had learned to kiss, or if he'd ever even _been_ kissed, but his lips were light and delicious in their movements, brushing and subtly sucking. There was nothing invasive about it at all and it drove me crazy. When I'd try to find his tongue, he'd pull back, making me search for him, then touch my spine in a way that made me arch my back toward him and whisper his name.

The moon set and my bedroom was immersed in complete darkness. Yet still we clung to one another. Letting go seemed like an impossibility.

And if it had been anyone _but_ Riku (aside from Sora, of course), I would have been absolutely repulsed. If it had been Setzer, or some other guy… some guy who didn't know me, who didn't share this connection with me, then… I probably wouldn't have even given it a second thought.

But it _was _Riku. He was my best friend and Sora's, too; he knew what was at stake.

And there was something about the broadness of his shoulders, the thickness of his arms, the smell of his cologne, and the way his hair tickled my cheek as his lips danced over my face and neck that held me where I was. His taste, his smell, and the way he sighed with pleasure when I ran my hands down his tightly muscled stomach made some part of me wonder at what I had been missing for so long.

Maybe I was a terrible person. But the fact remained that I had been so, so lonely before and when Riku had arrived… well, he was like the patch of moonlight on my bedroom floor… barely luminous, yet enough to distract me from the suffocating black night around me. And that patch of light might've been just enough to save me… and maybe enough to save him, too.

He seemed to be in his element; whenever he pulled away, his eyes would open and their aqua depths seemed almost luminous in the moonlight. A slight smirk played around the corners of his glistening lips as he brushed at the wispy strands of hair that clung to them.

"Riku…" A bittersweet sigh. And every time the hushed words came out of my mouth, he'd flash his bright white smile at me and our sorrow would be lost in the moment.

He held me tightly against him, caressing my shoulders and lower back; relishing the slender arch of muscle and pearly skin that was my body in his hands.

I noticed when his touch became lighter and I dully realized that my own lips had finally stopped moving and I was lying flat and still, rather than curled toward him. His eyes were closed, his arms like a blanket around me, his lips unmoving on his face. His breathing came softly and slowly.

I was so exhausted that I could hardly command my body to move. But somehow I managed to tighten my hold on him before everything went black. I drifted away into a sweet and painless nothing.

~o~

"Umm... Kairi? You've got to get down to breakfast. Please, please, please wake up."

Someone was forcefully poking my bare shoulder. I frowned, then sighed as I felt Riku's arms tighten around me. "Let her sleep," his deep voice commanded.

"I can't, Riku. If she doesn't show up soon, Chancellor Tsukada will come looking for her."

"Then let him come. Anyone could see that rest is what she needs. She's not well."

There was a long pause and I was tempted to open my eyes. Then Yuffie said, "What did you do to her?" Her voice was flat and hard.

He sighed. Suddenly his arms were gone and I was all alone. I gasped and opened my eyes. The air stung them like acid.

"It's my fault," Riku was saying, his eyes closed and his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "All my fault."

"What is?" Yuffie asked coldly. I could tell that her newfound opinion of Riku was being dissolved.

I sat up and two sets of eyes fell on me. My head hurt and the room was spinning. I was so tired that I could hardly hold my head up, but somehow I managed to say, "It's not your fault, Riku. It's just as much mine."

Yuffie bent over and looked intently into my eyes. Her mouth turned down at the corners. Her eyebrows were furrowed.

"Don't be mad at Riku," I sighed. "Just don't."

She shook her head. "You look awful, Kairi."

I shrugged and ran a hand over my face. My eyes were swollen from all the crying; my lips were chapped and extremely dry.

"Well what am I supposed to do?" Yuffie demanded after a long pause. "What am I supposed to _tell_ them?"

"Tell them she's sick," Riku said, looking out my window. I could tell that he still blamed himself.

"Well..." She hesitated. "I guess that would work. She looks bad enough."

I grimaced. I was about to tell them to stop talking about me like I wasn't there when Riku got up and walked over to my window.

"Riku," I gasped. He stopped, but didn't turn around. Fresh tears burned my eyes. "Don't go."

He stood there, unmoving.

"I need you," I whispered.

He didn't respond.

"Please," I shuddered. "Don't leave me again."

Finally, with a groan of surrender, he came back to sit down beside me.

"Um... I'll go get you guys some breakfast," Yuffie said, looking back and forth between us. "And I'll give everyone the news of your sudden, tragic illness," she added with a snort.

"Thanks," I murmured, my eyes still on Riku. "And make it convincing. We can't have anybody coming to investigate."

As the door closed, we gazed calmly into each other's eyes. So much had passed between us. How could things ever be the same?

I knew the answer. They couldn't. Just as my heart could never be whole again. Something about our relationship had died last night, something good and pure and sweet that I was sorry to say goodbye to. At the same time, I wondered what would rise from the ashes of our cremated friendship.

I was suddenly shy of him. My face began to color. "I'm gonna go—clean up," I said, standing and looking away from him.

"'Kay."

Something occurred to me. My eyes narrowed and I gave him a fierce look. "Don't leave," I warned him.

He smiled and shook his head. "What are you gonna do, chain me to your bed frame? I said I would stay, okay?"

I studied him for a moment. "Okay."

I grabbed a fresh outfit from my closet, then went into my bathroom and closed the door. I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror as I passed it on my way to the shower. "Gah!" I gasped.

My eyes were red and the skin around them was swollen. My hair was tangled, my lips cracked and tender. I swayed a little as my head gave a particularly nasty throb. Sheesh. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was completely hung over.

I smirked to myself. Hung over. That's exactly what I was. I'd gotten completely wasted off of Riku and now I was suffering the consequences.

I hurried to shower and dress in my usual miniskirt and tank top, still unsure of whether or not he would stay, despite his reassurance. After I finished brushing my teeth and combing my hair, I heard a loud laugh from the other room. It sounded like Leon. Curious, I opened the door a crack and peered out.

They were all there—Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, even Cid. And Riku, smiling and looking at ease sitting on my thick ivory carpet, with a half-eaten piece of toast in one hand.

"Eat," Yuffie commanded, spotting me and gesturing toward a tray of eggs, toast, and bacon.

I walked over, sat down, and picked up a piece of bacon. I sucked on it, enjoying the rich, familiar flavor as Leon, Riku, and Cid chatted away about politics, weaponry, and even advertising strategies for Cid to consider, since business at the shop hadn't exactly been booming as of late. Yuffie fussed over my straight, damp hair and begged me to let her attack it with the curling iron again. Aerith laughed and smiled gently, but didn't say much.

Once everyone had eaten, Leon and Riku left to go into town with a promise that they'd be back in a half hour. The whole time that they were gone, I was distressed and anxious. I paced back and forth, until Yuffie threatened to tie me to a chair.

"You're kind of possessive, aren't you Kairi?" Aerith observed as I ignored Yuffie and went to look out the window.

I scowled at her. "Possessive? What do you mean, possessive?"

She shrugged and smiled, her easygoing nature preventing her from responding.

"What do you mean? Just tell me."

She sighed. "Well... sometimes you just need to let them go. You have to understand. They need to go—that doesn't mean they want to. And they'll always come back."

I frowned. "How do you know? Cloud's still gone." As soon as the words were out, I wanted to call them back. It was practically criminal to hurt Aerith's feelings, when she was so good and sweet.

Yuffie scowled at me.

However, Aerith only said, "True. But he'll come back." She seemed unperturbed by my jab.

My shoulders slumped. "I can't do that, Aerith. I'm not like you—I need him with me, or else I can't keep believing. I can't keep letting him go. I just can't!"

"Who are we talking about here?" Yuffie said wryly. "Riku? Or someone else?"

I shot her an irritated glance.

"See? Possessive," Aerith said, closing her eyes and leaning back on one of my pillows.

She was right; who did I think I was kidding, anyway? I sighed in defeat. "I didn't used to be that way. It's happened kind of recently, I guess."

"You're just tired of being left. That's understandable," Aerith said, smiling gently. "Don't worry. He'll come back."

I wasn't sure who she was talking about, but either way, it soothed me. We exchanged hopeful smiles.

And that was the end of our serious conversation for the day. When the boys came back, we played board games, ate popcorn, and laughed and talked for hours. Riku sat next to me on the carpet, smiling and talking, only looking haunted by the pain when our eyes met. It felt good to pretend like nothing was wrong, to converse casually and enjoy our time together rather than weep through it.

Evening came and everyone but Riku left. Yuffie went to get us some dinner, Leon went to Merlin's, Cid went back to the shop, and Aerith headed back to her house for the night. She didn't work and live at the castle like Yuffie.

"Um, Kairi?" Riku said when we were alone again. "Tonight Merlin and Leon are doing some city work—working on the town security system and stuff. There could be danger, they never know when Heartless or Nobodies will slip through. They asked me if I would help."

My eyes widened. "You're leaving? Again?"

"I'll be back tomorrow. It's just one night."

I sighed and sat down on my bed.

"Besides, it's about time you had a good night's sleep," he mused. "It will be better this way."

I scowled at him. How could it possibly be better? I'd just lay awake all night, worrying about his safety and the possibility that he may not ever come back. And why was he always so eager to leave? Didn't he want me around as much as I wanted him?

"I don't want to be alone," I murmured. "I'm so freaking tired of it."

"Sorry. But you'll be alright."

I glared at a spot on the wall just over his shoulder. Then, an idea struck me. "Hey! I'll just go with you!" I was tired of being stuck in the castle, anyway. It would be fun to see the city by night, especially with Riku and Leon.

But Riku frowned and my smile faded a little. "No. It's not safe." He said shortly.

I was surprised, then insulted. "Excuse me? I'm a princess. I'll do whatever I want." I stood up and folded my arms. I'd never used that line before, but now seemed to be as good a time as any.

He stepped forward, grabbed me by shoulders, and sat me back down on the bed like a disobedient child. "No," he said firmly. "I'm not going to endanger you. And you'll just slow me down."

The other half of my heart seared; I'd heard that before, or something pretty similar to it, at least. I scowled again. I could feel more stupid tears burning under my eyelids. I averted my eyes and tried to wrench my shoulders from his grasp, but had no success.

"Let me go," I said crossly. Words that weren't really meant for him came bursting through my lips: "You don't want me anyway."

He looked at me incredulously.

"It's true," I insisted after a moment of shocked silence. He had no way of knowing it, but it was his use of Sora's words that had upset me the most. "It's true. Otherwise you would want to be with me, instead of leaving all the time."

He was shaking his head. "Kairi," he said slowly, "It's _because_ I want you that I won't let you come with me tonight. You'll get hurt."

"No I won't!" I cried. "We've fought side by side before. Remember?"

"Yes. Because there wasn't another choice. I gave you that keyblade so you could defend yourself and for that reason alone."

"Well I'm sorry that was such a painful experience for you," I said disdainfully.

He rolled his eyes at me.

"Why don't you just go already?" I said, trying again to free myself from his grasp. "There's nothing keeping you here."

"Like hell there isn't!" he snapped. The intensity of his anger scared me a little. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they burned like blue fire. "For crying out loud, I just told you that I loved you," he said. "Do you really think that I don't want you?"

"I—I _know_ you don't," I said, and the tremor in my voice made it less impressive.

He looked at me for a while. Then his expression became speculative. He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward just a tiny bit. "You _sure_ about that?" he asked. He bent down so that his face was level with mine, his eyes still bright, but with something other than anger.

"Positive," I stammered. I had a vague idea what he was planning and the thought of it made my stomach twist in anticipation.

He leaned in toward me, cocking his head, and the tip of his nose dashed across my skin, as though he were taking in its scent. "How positive?" His lips whispered against my cheek. One hand still held me by my shoulder; the other began to trace my collarbone lightly.

"Um... very," I said, but my will was crumbling quickly.

He kissed me. His touch was light and delicious, just like it had been last night; he sucked on my lower lip, occasionally pulling away enough to look at me from beneath his long black eyelashes. Then he'd smile, close his eyes, and lean in again. My head would spin.

After a minute, he pulled back again, very slowly this time, smirking and teasing me. He moved far enough away that, when he finally stopped, one eyebrow raised, I found myself on my feet, leaning toward him with my eyes half-closed.

I blushed and sat back down, then folded my arms across my chest.

"So… how about now?" He murmured, a smirk playing around the corners of his lips.

I took a deep, steadying breath before answering, but it did no good; my voice still shook. "Still sure." I tried not to look at him, but then one of his hands was on top of mine and the other was beneath my chin. I'll admit, I was more than willing to allow him to tilt my face toward him, this time.

He kissed me until my mind was in a haze and all I could hear was my own breathing and the frantic pounding of my heart. I could feel his hands tracing my arms, my neck, my throat. I blushed and ducked my head as his fingers lingered at my tank top straps. But this time, his lips followed mine so hungrily that I couldn't get away.

I was finally able to pull my mouth out of his when we both ran out of oxygen.

"Change your mind yet?" He wondered, panting lightly and trying to catch my eye.

I shook my head quickly, but couldn't look at him. He caught my chin again and pulled it up until my face was level with his. I couldn't help but smile just a tiny bit. His answering grin was exultant.

"That's okay," he said, laughing. "I have plenty of time to convince you—all the time in the world."

We studied each other in silence and part of me hoped that it was true... The other part wasn't so sure, though.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Both Riku and I jumped. Then he straightened up and said, "Come in," in a husky voice.

"Since when do _you_ knock?" I asked as Yuffie came in with a large dinner tray on one hand. I could smell soup and tonic.

"Since I wondered if you might like a little privacy," she said primly, coming to set the tray on my night table. "Don't get used to it."

As I picked up my spoon and dunked it into the piping-hot bowl of clam chowder, Riku began backing toward the window. I stared him down. He hesitated before putting his hands on the marble window sill.

"There's some here for you too, Riku," Yuffie said pointedly.

"Thanks, but I've got to get going. See you." He gave me a warning glance before climbing neatly through the window and out of sight. My shoulders slumped in defeat and I let my spoon fall as my appetite melted away.


	6. Ocean Eyes

~o~

6

Ocean Eyes

"Okay, open up, 'cuz I've got to make sure you get a dose of this before I leave." Yuffie held up the big brown bottle of tonic and a clean spoon.

"Oh no," I groaned. The tonic, which was one of her family recipes, was bitter and slimy. "I'm not really even sick, Yuffie. It isn't necessary."

"That's a matter of opinion," she said, then poured me an oozing, heaping spoonful. I swallowed it with a grimace and chugged the milk she brought me afterward.

"Holy crap, that stuff is disgusting," I gasped. "Are you trying to poison me?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you caught me. I think I'll go party it up now that I've got _you_ out of the way." She headed for the door.

Wait—she was really leaving? "Hey, where are you going?"

I was shocked when she blushed and said, "To dinner."

"Dinner? Like a date?" My eyes widened. "With who?"

"Mind your own beeswax," she said teasingly.

"Leon?"

She smiled and nodded.

"I knew it," I said, lying back on my bed. "You two have been hitting on each other forever."

She rolled her eyes. "You know you really haven't known us that long."

I laughed. Then I frowned as something occurred to me. "Hang on. I thought Leon and Riku and Merlin were doing city stuff tonight."

"They are. After Leon and I have dinner."

I continued to frown.

"Stop being grumpy," Yuffie laughed. "I'm going now. Good night Kairi."

"Wait," I said. She turned to look at me. I'd thought of asking her if we could have a slumber party in my room, so I wouldn't be so lonely. But now I realized that wasn't going to work, since she had a date. I sighed. "Never mind. Have fun."

"I will. See you."

When the door closed behind her, I ignored the soup on my nightstand and went into my bathroom to get ready for bed—for the first time in three nights. I decided to take a bubble bath, because if anything would eat up time, that would. I pushed the drain closed and turned on the three faucets, then watched as the warm water rose higher and higher. I even poured a little vanilla bubble bath in.

When it was deep enough, I turned the water off, slipped out of my clothes and climbed down into the bubbly water. Steam rose as the surface swirled around me. Standing in the middle, it went up to my ribcage. My stiff muscles immediately began to relax.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath of air, held it, and plunged under the water. It felt good to just float there, in warmth and safety and silence. I swam around in the tub for a while, as though it _were_ a swimming pool, before washing and getting out.

When I was back in my room in a long silk nightgown, a certain emptiness began to grow from the cold, dark, unoccupied space around me. I slid into my bed and curled up into a ball, but it did no good. The darkness was so, so silent. Silent as the grave.

I wondered why I felt like this. After all, I'd slept by myself my entire life, up until very recently. So what was this ache in my chest that wouldn't go away, this sudden, five-year-old typical fear of the dark?

Suddenly, a feeling of _déjà vu_ overwhelmed me. I _had_ felt this way before. Right after I'd left Destiny Islands and moved into this big room in the castle, I'd felt a similar fear and loneliness—loneliness for my friends back at home: Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. And, of course, there was the usual sad ache for Sora and Riku that always intensified that loneliness so much. The big empty room had seemed to remind me of it every hour of the day.

I tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity, worrying about Riku and hoping that he and the others were safe. Or were they even doing anything yet? I looked at my digital clock and gasped; it was only ten o'clock. Leon was still having dinner with Yuffie. So what was Riku doing? Why couldn't he have just stayed with me a little longer?

Possessive. Aerith was right. I was over the top.

I looked at the clock often, so often that every time I looked, only four or five minutes had passed, though it felt like hours had gone by. My eyes burned and I knew I needed sleep, but something about my soft, huge, and horribly empty bed had me wide-awake and miserable.

My eyes were shut tightly and I was concentrating hard on not concentrating on anything, which never seems to work, when my sub-conscious mind produced a startling image.

_Deep_ blue eyes—like an ocean rather than a small sea—were staring into mine, and my soul recognized the soul that stood behind them with a leap of joy.

A smile that was like light to my blind eyes flashed down at me, like the sun, chasing the darkness away. Deliciously warm skin began thawing mine as his hand tenderly caressed my cheek. And then I heard the sweet, sweet voice that time had not distorted because of the place it still held in my heart. It rang out, touching every part of my being, like the voice of an angel.

I could not distinguish what he was saying at first, I was too startled, too amazed, too mesmerized. For a moment, the other half of my wounded and broken heart gave a loud, sturdy thud. In that brief moment, I was almost myself again.

"Sora," I whispered, but could not find my hands to reach out and touch him.

"_Kairi_," the angel-voice said. I realized it was what he had been saying all along. The way my name came through his lips made me shiver with joy.

There was no resentment or jealousy on his face. He looked just like he always had: blissful, delighted to be simply looking into my eyes. I wanted to touch him so badly. But where were my hands? I sought for them desperately.

Suddenly, with a gasp, I found them. I was alone again. My arm was raised in front of me, toward the high ceiling above. It was dark all around me, as though the sun had imploded.

I was so cold. All but my cheek, which still radiated warmth despite the chill.

Tears welled up and spilled over. I did nothing to stop them. What was the point? "Sora," I sobbed into my pillow. The wave of pain that washed over me was agonizing. "Sora, Sora, Sora..."

But, surprisingly, I did not cry long. As I closed my eyes, I could remember the brightness and I could feel his warm touch on my cheek. A beautiful feeling of peace came over me and I finally escaped into unconsciousness.

~o~

Yuffie woke me very early the next morning.

"Setzer wants to talk to you," she explained, throwing my covers off of me. "He wants you to take a walk with him right after breakfast."

I slid out of my bed. My body felt numb. How was it that reality had survived such a night as that one? How could life go on, the same way it had been before?

It couldn't. I wouldn't let what little I had left of Sora fade away.

As I showered and got ready for the day ahead, I closed my eyes as often as I could, because I could almost see him when I did. I could almost hear his voice, almost feel his touch.

"You are so out of it today," Yuffie said as I came out of my closet wearing a sweater and a mini skirt. "You sure you aren't baked or something? Should I alert the authorities?"

"What?"

"Look at yourself, Kairi. You can't wear that."

"Huh?" I looked down at myself and some distant part of me realized that there was something wrong with my outfit. A tiny skirt and huge, tent-like sweater. Hmm.

I tried to focus as I returned to the closet. I picked out a couple of tank tops, one black and one blue, then put them both on. Then my fingers encountered denim; I slid into a pair of shorts gratefully.

"Much better," Yuffie said, but she still wore a worried expression.

We went downstairs and Setzer came prancing up to me with another over-confident look on his face. He took my hand with a toothy grin. His touch was cold and grimy compared to the ethereal quality of Sora's. That woke me up more than anything. I wrinkled my nose and tried to slide my fingers out from beneath his.

"Kairi," he said. I wondered what he was so smug about. I tried to remember the day before yesterday—it seemed like years ago—and recalled his silence, his sudden humility. What had happened? I'd thought he'd changed.

We sat down and I tried to eat an adequate breakfast, because I was vaguely aware that I was hungry. The food just tasted bland, like sawdust in my mouth. My senses had been taken for the ride of their lives and now the sights and smells and tastes of daily life were unbearably dull.

I listened to Chancellor Tsukada and Setzer talking, but I wasn't aware of what they were _saying_, just the incomprehensible chatter that filled the silence. I closed my eyes and I went into my own world.

"Um, Princess Kairi?" Someone said. Irritated, I opened my eyes and found, to my surprise, that Yuffie was standing beside me. Setzer and Chancellor Tsukada looked at her as though she were a stray cat that had run in.

"What?" I asked, my eyes widening. The servants never interrupted meals, as a rule, unless they were bringing in more food.

"Your serving maid would like a quick word with you, M'lady, about your dietary needs. She would wait, but has a very busy schedule for this afternoon and this is her only opening." The words were well practiced, I could tell. However, her voice trembled as she spoke and her eyes were wide and filled with meaning as they bored into mine. She was frantic. This was an emergency.

And besides… when had anyone ever needed to speak to me about my freaking _dietary needs_?

I leapt to my feet. Now I was trembling, too, as Yuffie and I walked as quickly as we dared toward the kitchens. I could feel Chancellor Tsukada and Setzer's eyes on my back the entire time.

What could possibly have happened? "Yuffie," I hissed as soon as we were outside the dining room, "Yuffie!"

"Wait till we're in the kitchen!" She whispered.

Once we were inside with the door closed firmly behind us, I whirled around. Yuffie stood there, panting, and Leon, Aerith, and Cid were leaning against the wall. Their faces were impossible to read.

"What is it?" I very nearly shouted. "Where's Riku?"

"Riku?" Leon said quickly. "Oh, Riku's fine. He helped us out of a very sticky situation last night, so thank you for—"

"Then what's going on?" I demanded, interrupting him mid-sentence. "What happened?"

Leon and Yuffie exchanged nervous glances. "Now, don't freak out, Kairi," Yuffie warned me. "This is going to... surprise you, but you can't go running off or anything. You have to act like nothing's happened. Okay?"

"Tell me!" I snapped. Now I was really worried. "Tell me what happened!"

"Do you promise you won't run off?"

I hesitated. "That depends," I said.

"On what?" Yuffie prompted.

"On what's happening!" I snapped.

"We won't tell you until you promise," Leon said, agonizingly slowly and calmly.

I had a feeling that I would regret ever agreeing to this, but I couldn't stand the suspense. "Fine!" I growled. "I won't run away. Happy?"

"Yes," Yuffie said. The glowing smile on her face could only affirm that. "Very, very happy. And you will be too, once you've calmed down."

Leon frowned. "Yuffie, are you sure we should—"

"Just tell me!" I shouted; my hands curled into fists at my side.

"Jeez!" Yuffie said, putting her hands out in front of her defensively. "Okay! Calm down! Here goes. There's a rumor going around the city that you might want to know about." She was drawing it out, trying to suspend my agony.

"A rumor?" I prompted as she paused for dramatic effect.

"Yes," Leon said, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. "A rumor about a strange traveler that showed up last night. He was alone—"

"—And carrying a strange, unique kind of weapon," Yuffie interrupted.

"—that looks like a key!" Aerith squealed.

"—And asked around," Leon continued, "about a girl he was looking for. He spoke casually of this girl, but the people who heard his physical description of her recognized her for who she was—Princess Kairi."

"And everybody's buzzing, because someone else said something, started another rumor—"

"—Probably Merlin—"

"—that he's the keyblade's chosen one!"

There was a stunned silence. They were waiting for me to say something.

But I was in shock. I couldn't find my lips to make them move, but even if I could have, I would've had no words for them.

This could not be happening. It just _couldn't_. How long now had I been convinced that it never would and refused to believe any different? It wasn't true, it couldn't be. They were just playing a joke on me. A very cruel, sick, twisted joke.

But then my eyes began to wander from face to face. All I could see was nervous excitement and worried expectancy. There was no trace of dishonesty in Yuffie's clear, dark-eyed stare. There was anxiety on Leon's usually impassive, thin face, and Aerith and Cid merely looked at me as though they'd given me a real treat and were expecting me to jump for joy any second now.

But how could I jump for joy when I felt like I was completely and totally paralyzed? Paralyzed with disbelief.

I was taking deep, shuddering breaths now. When I swayed, Yuffie stepped forward and steadied me. I could not feel her hand on my back. I couldn't feel anything. The shock left me completely blank.

I closed my eyes. For a moment there was only darkness, only emptiness. And then the light began to stream through; I could feel warmth on my cheek again. I gasped and the haze cleared.

"Sora," I croaked. That one simple word suddenly made it all true. "Sora."

All eyes were on me, waiting.

Suddenly I found my legs and I was running. All the dizziness went away. Out the door and into the hallway I dashed, pounding toward the doors that meant freedom and light and joy. I could hear other footsteps coming quickly behind me, but they meant nothing.

And then there were hands clutching at my arms, dragging me to a stop. I became aware of a voice hissing angrily into my ear.

"Where do you think you're going?" It was Leon.

What a stupid question. I gaped at him, uncomprehending.

Yuffie came running up behind him and now there was anger on her face. "You said you wouldn't go, Kairi. You can't!"

"Why not?" I wailed, struggling against Leon's firm grasp.

"Think about it," a third voice said. Aerith. "You're supposed to be courting Prince Setzer. You can't just go dashing through the streets looking for Sora; you're too recognizable. And you most certainly can't fly into his arms and tell him you love him out in public."

"Why not?" I repeated, still struggling. And then the truth poured through my lips, filling my soul with light. "I _do_ love him." My voice rang with triumph. "More than anything!"

"Yes, but you can't let anyone else know that," Leon groaned. "It would shame the royal family, as well as the entire world."

I scowled at him. "I don't care about that. I don't care about anything. Let me go! I have to find Sora!" I was desperate now. I was ready to claw his eyes out to get away.

"No," Leon growled, bracing himself against my frantic attempts at escape.

"Please, please, please calm down!" Yuffie begged. "Be reasonable. Wait for Sora and he will come to you."

"No!" I shouted. "I'm tired of waiting. I won't do it!"

"Yes you will," Yuffie said sternly. "You're not going to ruin your reputation like this. As far as everyone knows, Sora had a little crush on you a long time ago that you never had and never will return. Got it?"

"No!" I wailed, tears burning my eyes.

"You're faithfully courting Prince Setzer," Leon said firmly. "And nobody can ever know any different, understand?"

"I want Sora," I whimpered pitifully. Leon's grip on my loosened as I slumped over in defeat.

Yuffie grabbed my hands in hers. "You will see Sora, I promise. And very soon. Just wait a little longer, Kairi. That's all we're asking."

I slid to the floor and buried my face in my hands. A sob shook my body and I felt Yuffie's arm come to rest across my shoulder. "You've got to be a good actress today, Kairi," she said gently. "The whole kingdom depends on it."

I shuddered. "I can't… I _can't_."

"Kairi," Yuffie said softly, "I know you. And I know that you can do this. You're strong enough."

I shook my head, still struggling to get a grip on myself before I had hysterics.

"I told you not to tell her," Leon told Yuffie, shaking his head.

Yuffie sighed. "Just one more day. You can be strong for him, can't you?"

I shivered, but nodded slowly. They were right; there was no choice. And I'd waited this long, after all. Maybe a little longer wouldn't kill me.

"Good girl." Yuffie said encouragingly.

~o~

I felt very uneasy as I walked back into the dining room and saw Setzer's face. His eyes were on me and there was a very shrewd, speculating look in them that I didn't like to see at all. He gave me a smug, almost knowing grin that sent a shiver up my spine.

Could he have possibly heard all that? Only if he'd been eavesdropping from the entryway. Only if he'd moved from that seat.

"I apologize," I said, a little shakily. "That took longer than I thought."

"Quite all right, my dear," Chancellor Tsukada said. "Prince Setzer took a moment to freshen up while you were gone, anyway. No harm done."

I gasped and Setzer gave me another smug look.

"Hurry and eat your breakfast, Kairi darling," Setzer said in a dangerously sweet voice. "We're going on a walk, remember?"

I sat down stiffly, picked up my fork, and began to eat the tasteless food again. Setzer's eyes were on me the entire time and I was suddenly so afraid of him that I wanted to get up and bolt for the door.

When my plate was empty, he escorted me wordlessly into the garden. Today the cool morning air and the fountains playing seemed to be mocking me. We walked for a long time before he finally turned to me.

"So... has your, uh, _heart_ made its decision yet?" He asked.

I stood in silence for a moment. The very idea that I could marry this repulsive creature when Sora was so near was quite disturbing. What could I say? I wasn't ready to make this decision today. I needed more time to pull myself together before I voluntarily destroyed my own life.

"Not yet," I finally managed to say.

He didn't seem surprised. "Hmm," was all he said.

We paused at the edge of a large fountain and he stood admiring his reflection for a long time. Then he said, "Suppose I give you a reason to decide a little sooner, Kairi."

I stared at him distrustfully. "What do you mean?"

"I think you _know_ what I mean," he said. I didn't like the knowing look he gave me at all.

I glared at him and he shook his head at my incompetence.

"And to think," he said in a soft voice, as though he were telling a story to a toddler, "that the handsome, perfect Prince Setzer of Albrook was not good enough for young, silly Princess Kairi of Radiant Garden. Who would have thought it?"

I froze.

"It is a real shame that she had to go and give her heart away to not one, but _two_ others. This 'keyblade bearer' that everyone has been talking about in addition to a vagabond off the streets, who she has been courting in her room during the night hours. How dreadful."

He watched me hungrily, like an alligator watches its approaching prey, ready to ensnare it between its razor-sharp teeth.

"And now that she is forced to abdicate to Chancellor Tsukada for her unfaithfulness to not only Setzer and her own royal family, but her entire world, whatever _do_ you suppose will become of her? And her little friends? Tut, tut, tut."

I was in shock.

"Poor princess. But Prince Setzer _had_ to reveal her. It was his duty."

Horror broke through my wall of paralyzed terror, then blind fury. My hands curled into fists. I stomped my foot and cried, "You can't blackmail me, you bastard!"

He shrugged. "Oh, I think I can. It will be simple, because I've already scheduled a speech in the square today, in which Prince Setzer and Princess Kairi are to announce their engagement. Unless of course, you refuse." He gave me a wicked grin. "Then I might have to make a different speech entirely."

I was seething with a hatred fiercer than any I'd ever known. I'd always known that Setzer was a good-for-nothing idiot, but I'd never suspected that he could be such a monster. That he would _force_ me to marry him like this.

"What have you been doing? Listening behind doors?" I growled.

"Well, yes," he said, unashamed, "but your little servant friends aren't too careful about where they discuss classified information, either. I hardly had to go out of my way to hear of your gaudy little ventures, I assure you."

I continued to glower.

"I can see that you find my reason a valid one," he eventually said, examining his fingernails. "I'll give you time to think it over. When you join me for our carriage ride to the square today, you can give me your answer then."

I looked at the ground now. My entire body was shaking with hatred.

"And Kairi?" He said in that soft, sickening voice, "This is our little secret. Unless you'd like the choice taken away from you all together?"

In that moment I hated him. I had disliked him before, but now I _hated _him. "I gave you a chance," I growled. "I knew you were an idiot from the start—but I tried to forget all that and give you a chance. And this is how you thank me?"

"I need more than a chance," he said slowly, carefully. "I need absolute and undisputable victory."

It took all my self control to keep myself from hitting him at that point. After grinding my teeth together and channeling all of my hatred into one smoldering glare, I turned and stomped away before he could say anything else.

~o~

I could not remember anything of being taught the differences between right and wrong.

Of course, I couldn't remember anything of my early childhood, either. Perhaps that was when I'd been rewarded for my honesty, praised for my charity, and punished for my wrongdoings insomuch that I feared them. Had someone, like my grandmother, spanked me for drawing on the walls in crayon? Given me a stick of candy for sharing my toys? Told me that I would grow big and strong if I ate my vegetables, rather than wrapping them in a napkin at the side of my plate?

My foster parents had never had any trouble with me. I was a good girl from the moment I set foot in their home. I willingly did my allotted chores, kept my room clean and did well in school. I never had any problem with getting along with the other children on the island. I never talked back, I never broke curfew, I never got into trouble. I'd been told that I was good.

But what did 'good' mean?

Did it mean that they believed me to be an easily-managed, well adjusted child, who always did what she was told by her superiors, like a puppet? Or did it mean that they thought me to have all of the qualities that made a strong, intelligent person?

I wanted to believe it. I wanted to believe that I had the qualities of that sort of a good person, rather than just someone who followed orders. I wanted to believe that, when the time came, I could choose to be valiant and brave, honest and strong. Good.

But now I was faced with the sickening possibility that I couldn't do it.

I knew what was right. It was right to protect my people, to do what was best for my kingdom even if it meant that I would have to completely screw myself over. Setzer would be an awful husband and an unintelligent king, but I would be there all along to make sure that he didn't mess up. I would watch over him my entire life—and it would be like babysitting. I would keep my people safe and happy and unaware of the inner turmoil that tore at my soul.

My heart seared. I couldn't do it. Yes, I could. No, how could I? And yet I had to.

"You've got to do it," I told myself, my voice echoing against the high stone walls. "You _can_ do it. You _are_ good."

I was far beneath the castle, in a dim and dreary corridor that I had never visited before. Beside me was a large wooden door. A golden plaque above it read: _Ansem's Study_. It was slightly tarnished and dirty, but the dust was lighter over the engraved lettering, as though, several years ago, someone had wiped it clean with a fingertip.

I'd tried to open it, but it hadn't budged when I'd pushed or pulled on the door handle. So I sat, huddled against the wall, shivering under my thin jacket.

The others would be looking for me. But I didn't want to be found. I wanted to be alone.

Though I knew that they would always mean well, I didn't want their input now. I didn't want to hear their conflicting opinions or their arguments. I could handle no more argument.

Because the other half of me was screaming that there was no way I could marry Setzer. How could I sleep in the same bed with the person I hated most in the entire world? Someone who deserved not only my hatred, but to be punished by the law for blackmailing the princess into _marrying_ him? He was a villain, a traitor, an evil, self-centered fool. And he was going to be the king. He was going to get exactly what he wanted.

No! That wasn't right; it wasn't fair. There had to be another way.

But there wasn't. If he exposed me, it would hurt everyone. Everyone that I loved. I would lose my crown and be sent back to Destiny Islands, probably, where I would live the rest of my life in shame. And what would become of my friends? They would lose their jobs and their high ranking city positions.

I couldn't do that to them. If I did, I wouldn't be 'good' as my foster parents had said. I'd be a selfish coward.

I curled up in a ball. Tears did not flow freely down my face. There were no tears for this kind of agony. For once, my eyes were dry. I closed them and for another moment, I could feel warmth on my cheek again.

Sora. His eyes shone through the blackness, the turmoil. They filled me with light, courage, and hope. Riku's words suddenly came to mind. _Maybe you should take Sora's advice and follow your heart._

"How can I follow your advice, Sora?" I asked aloud. "How can I follow my heart if leads me astray? If it chooses wrong?"

_Wrong? Wrong? Wrong? _My echo said as it bounced along the walls and ceiling, as if it agreed with me.

I closed my eyes again and wrapped my arms around my cold, aching chest. Suddenly, I saw him again. His grin was almost smug. "_Aw, Kairi,"_ his voice said; it sounded so real that I was sure he must be in the room with me, "_It's not gonna lead you astray. As long as you believe that, it never will._"

Hope. Courage. Compassion. Strength. Honesty. In that moment, they glowed brightly within me. My heart gave a vital thud.

~o~

He watched me, his eyes narrowed and his expression shrewd.

I sat on the seat beside him with my head held high and proud and my hands folded in my lap. It was a long ride to the square and as the carriage glided through the castle gates, I knew I was in for it. But whatever he said to me, whatever he did to me, I knew I could handle it. Sora's bright light still burned within me.

"I'm sorry that this has been... unpleasant for you," Setzer said, but his tone was careless. "It was necessary, I assure you. You would have never chosen to marry me on your own free will." He shook his head. "_Why_—well, that's quite beyond me."

I held my head high. I did not grace him with a reaction to his words or even a sour glance.

"But I still expect you to behave yourself," he went on. "You must play the part of a contented queen, rather than the tantrum-throwing child that you are. Our decision to marry was a wise one. We are a smart match. Do I make myself clear?"

I gazed ahead of me, past the driver and the footman and along the cobblestoned road ahead.

"I said," he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me around, "do I make myself _clear_?" His eyes were arrogant and cruel. His hold on my shoulder was painfully tight.

I could feel cold hatred on my face as I looked up at him, so much that he actually flinched. "Go to hell," I whispered, my eyes narrowing.

He looked shocked at first, then fury drew his features into a tangled, ugly mess. "Care to repeat that?" He said, his voice low. "I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

I drew myself up, held my head high and said, "Go to hell," in a loud, clear, strong voice. "You can't blackmail me, you cowardly bastard. I'll never marry you, no matter what you do to me!"

His hand flashed through the air and came down hard on my cheek. My head was thrown back with the force of his blow. It hurt. But I straightened up and held my head proud and strong once more.

"You heard me," I seethed. "Nothing you do can hurt me, now."

His nostrils flared and his teeth were bared. Disbelief and blind fury had transformed him into a complete monster, a side of him that I doubted many had ever seen. He looked possessed.

"Fine," he snarled after a long moment. "Fine. You've made your choice. Now you'll have to deal with it."

"Do your worst," I said impassively. And I knew he would.


	7. The Other Half

~o~

7

The Other Half

The noisy, milling crowd that surrounded the stage was enormous. My heart skipped a beat as the royal carriage crept through it. People were laughing, talking, and standing eagerly on tip-toes to see their princess and her suitor and hear their grand announcement at last. There were smiles all around; they suspected nothing and they feared nothing.

Setzer got out of the carriage easily and walked onto the stage and into the public eye, waving and flashing his teeth as though it were his chosen calling in life. I knew he was still very angry about the fact that he would not rule over these people, but he hid it well.

I stepped onto the stage after him, though I was trembling with fear and my hands were as cold as ice. I looked down at them and saw that my skin was an ashy gray color. I couldn't seem to breathe right or even swallow.

And yet, though I felt as though I were about to faint at any moment, I was able to hold my head high.

"Here, Setzer," an amiable voice said. It was Chancellor Tsukada, handing him a headset microphone. The prince smiled at him and put it on as though nothing were wrong.

"My good people," he began in an echoing, carrying voice and I knew it would do no good to try and stop him. Even if he did not spread the news here and now, he would find another way to do it. At least this way it would all be over with at once.

"Today you have come here to witness a happy and momentous occasion," he went on, his voice carrying across the now silent crowds. "And so I deeply regret the turmoil that I am about to bring to this great and happy nation. Unfortunately, I am left with no choice, considering the circumstances. You have all come here to hear the announcement of my engagement with your own ears. And now I, in my desolation, must inform you that no such union has ever, or will ever exist."

A great, collective gasp split the air and shocked, horrified faces were suddenly turned in my direction. I immediately picked out the faces of those I cared about most, for they were in the front: Yuffie, Leon, Cid, and Aerith. They were looking up at Setzer with nothing short of black suspicion and Yuffie's dark eyes tried desperately to catch mine. I looked away.

Chancellor Tsukada, who was sitting on a high cushioned seat behind us, looked like he had been hit by a meteor.

Setzer was still smiling, though there was a vindictive gleam in his eyes, now. "Perhaps you should like to know why this princess and I shall not wed?" He said, wetting his lips with his tongue. The excited babble immediately ceased as he began to speak. "I am sure you are under the impression that I, in my greater wisdom and good judgment, have decided that your young princess is not worthy of my devotions." He shook his head and flashed that stupid smile again. "Do not think that I did not consider it."

I looked at the crowd and was surprised to see that their expressions of shock were now mingled with outrage and disbelief.

"However, if you can believe it, it was your very own Princess Kairi who decided against such a marriage. For you see, not only is she a foolish child, unlearned to the ways of politics and government, but she is also an unfaithful tramp, as unworthy of the crown she holds as any commoner off the streets."

My head spun and the words filled me with white hot anger, for I knew that they were untrue. I probably knew ten times more about ruling a country than he did and I was not a tramp—that was an extreme exaggeration. I was a virgin, for crying out loud. _He_ was the one with fidelity issues—he'd bragged about his "women" to me countless times.

I wanted to say something, to scream that he was a liar, that the name that he had branded me with was undeserved. But how could anyone believe me? I would sound like I was begging, pleading, trying to cover it up or sweep it under the rug rather than just facing up to what I'd done. The idea was repulsive to me.

So instead, I held my head high, folded my arms, and turned away from Setzer. I couldn't look at him anymore; I hated him far too much. Instead, I let my gaze fall on the faces of my people, the ones who his words would hurt the most.

What I saw there surprised me again. Now, nearly everyone looked angry. They were glaring at Setzer with absolute loathing.

"A certain 'keyblade bearer' is rumored to be here, in this very city, looking for the princess," Setzer went on, seemingly oblivious to the hostile expressions being flashed up at him. "A young man with a long history of fraternizing with your dear princess. But he would be disappointed with what he found, for she has been courting another young man, even as she was courting _me_. I will not go into all the gory details, but I assure you that there was nothing appropriate or stately about their relationship at all," he sniffed.

"So how could she do this to me, you may ask? _I_, the most handsome, perfect, amazing prince in all the worlds? How is it that your princess could be under the deluded impression that _I_ was not good enough for _her?_"

The people were glaring at him and I could tell that they already hated him as much as I did. Why, I wasn't certain. Perhaps it was because he was shaming our nation. Perhaps it was because he was the biggest idiot they had ever seen and they could hardly stand to listen to his pompous speech a moment longer.

I couldn't help but notice, though, that the faces that came to rest on _me_ were filled with something along the lines of... Compassion? Sympathy? Respect?

I was astounded. Could it be that the people cared for me enough that they could overlook my faults? Could they see what a terrible predicament I was in? I wanted to believe it. Oh, I wanted to believe it so badly.

As Setzer prattled on, there was a disturbance in the crowd. It was stirring in a couple of different places like boiling water. There were a couple of angry shouts and for a moment, Setzer looked a little nervous.

"So... it is my suggestion that she be forced to abdicate," he went on, his voice a little less sure. "She is not worthy to be your ruler."

Somebody shouted something at him. I couldn't tell what they'd said, but I heard their tone.

"It is understandable that you should be angry. I would be angry, too," Setzer stammered, trying to push it on me instead of himself. I continued to glare at him and the boiling crowd lapped at the stage around us.

To the right of me, not far from the stage, I noticed the source of the disturbance. Somebody was fighting their way through the tightly woven crowd toward us. I stood on tip-toes and twisted my head around to get a better look.

My heart dropped into my stomach as I got a glimpse of silvery hair. What would the guards do to Riku if he tried to make Setzer eat his poisonous words? He was definitely furious—I could see a glint of ice in his eyes as they flashed forward. He was going to be killed; I just knew it.

A movement on my left caught my panicked attention. I saw that someone else was fighting their way forward, just like Riku. This person was hard for me to see, because the people that surrounded him were closing in on him and talking to him in rapid, excited voices, rather than casting irritated glances at him and shoving out of his way. I saw a glint of steel and heard a familiar, angry voice. My breath caught; I couldn't see who it was that was coming, but I had a wild, desperate idea—and my heart began to beat unevenly.

They were coming closer with desperate lunges now. Still Setzer was talking as though nothing were happening. "And I am sorry that you had to suffer though her brief but dreadful rule," he was saying, and the angry roar of voices nearly rode over him, despite the microphone. "She is silly, irresponsible, and not really even all _that_ beautiful, since she always wanders around in the most common and inappropriate clothing imaginable—"

The crowd was about to boil over. I took a few nervous steps back.

"And she's really far too young and foolish for me," he rambled on, his lip curling. "So you see, she really isn't even worth the—"

Suddenly, two tall figures sprang up from the bubbling mass on opposite sides of the stage. Two pairs of blue eyes, different in shade but filled with identical hatred stood out in the brief moment that the figures recovered themselves.

My head swung back and forth and I tried to comprehend what was going on, but it all happened so fast that I hardly caught anything.

With startling speed and agility, the two personages nearly flew across the smooth wooden surface like hunting jungle cats. Setzer didn't have time to move, run, or even blink. I gasped as the hunters closed in.

With a deafening, hollow sounding thud, two heavy, bruised, and battle worn fists made contact with Setzer's pretty face, one on each side. There was an audible snap as his head flipped backward and his mouth was wrenched open. I saw two teeth fly into the air, along with a long trail of saliva.

He fell to the ground with another thud, out cold before he'd even traveled half the distance.

If there ever was a silence as deep as this, it was never had in this world. Not a single person breathed one single breath. Even the air was as still and silent as death itself.

And then they looked at me, it seemed, for the first time. And I looked at them.

I looked at Riku—the one who had come when I needed him most, the one who had held me close and comforted me with his presence. I loved him. I knew that.

But then I looked at the boy who was my everything—Sora—and all the other love in the world was suddenly drifting away, as though its gravitational properties had malfunctioned. It could not hold me, now. Because I could see my own reflection in that vast blue ocean of Sora's eyes and for the first time in a long time, I was home.

And then an earsplitting roar almost made me leap out of my skin. Sora and Riku jumped. The three of us turned to the crowd.

They were jumping up and down, laughing and cheering gleefully. There were hands in the air, reaching toward us as though we were heroes rather than villains. I couldn't believe it.

Riku and Sora exchanged surprised glances, then smiled. Riku gave a swift wave and the people cheered even louder.

I laughed once and Sora laughed along with me. His eyes caught mine and he smiled at me, just as he had in my dream.

He was still Sora. The eyes were exactly the same. The sandy-brown hair fell in a wide swatch across them and the eyebrows pulled upward at the edges. But there were differences, too.

His build hadn't changed too much, but he was much taller now. He was sinewy and muscled, though not as thickly as Riku, and his face was more hollowed and handsome than it had been before. The sweet roundness and look of youthful innocence was nearly gone, to my dismay. But there was no denying that he was still Sora.

Just _looking_ at him took me back to our island days—back to a small cavern at the base of a tree, where a mass of wriggling white lines decorated the walls. Back to the place where I had been happy. Back to the place where I'd grown up believing that I had already experienced love to its fullest, only to have my horizons expanded with every moment that I spent with my grubby hand in his.

My eyes filled with tears of joy. "Sora," I whispered.

His smile was like pure, undiluted sunlight. He inclined his head toward me, ever so slightly, and said, "Hey, Kairi."

I could only stare at him and blink rapidly at the tears which were forming in my eyes. I felt like I needed sunglasses to look at him, such was his radiance.

And then the brightness, the glory and beauty of that moment were taken from us and torn apart. Chancellor Tsukada had come out of his stunned silence, leapt to his feet, and was suddenly screaming, "Guards! Guards! Seize them at once!"

And then there were thickly armored men closing in from every direction. Riku leapt out of the reach of their grasping hands, but Sora was either not quick enough or too stunned to move. He gave an angry shout as three guards caught hold of his arms and held him fast. For a moment he looked as though he was going to summon his keyblade and fight. Then he seemed to decide against it.

"No!" I cried. "What are you doing?"

"Take him away," Chancellor Tsukada ordered. "Take him to the castle and throw him in the dungeon! And find the other one as soon as you can."

"Oh no you don't!" I shouted. "I'm still the princess and you will do as _I _command! Release him immediately!" I stamped my foot.

The guards hesitated and Chancellor Tsukada's face turned bright red. "I think not! I am still head of the royal family!"

"I'm the heir to the throne, though," I said angrily. "I should have a say in this!"

"This filthy commoner just dealt a very violent blow to the prince of Albrook! I will not negotiate his punishment with you or anyone else," Chancellor Tsukada said fiercely. "And I don't know where you find the nerve to even open your mouth, young lady. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

It was as though he had struck me. My own uncle could not stand by me in my blackest hour. And now he was trying to steal away my life, my soul. How could he do this to me?

Tears ran down my face and I balled my hands into fists. "What is wrong with you?" I wailed. The crowd behind me roared in agreement. "Don't you have a heart? Don't you care about anyone?"

His face turned, if possible, even more red. "You're the one who has done a great wrong to everyone but yourself," he sneered. "You have failed me and you have failed your kingdom. At least I always do what is right and do my duty to my crown."

"Yeah, congratulations. I'm sure Ansem The Wise would be very proud of you," I sneered.

He gave me a furious glare, then, as more loud and excited babbling broke out, said, "Take Princess Kairi to her room immediately. She is not to leave it or see anyone besides her servants. The guards must be positioned at her door at all times."

I gave Sora a panicked look as the guards began to drag him away. It would seem that we were both prisoners, now.

~o~

Yuffie looked oddly strained and anxious as she came into my room and closed the door behind her.

"They're so loud," she whispered. As she spoke one of the guards gave a hearty guffaw. "How are you supposed to sleep?"

I shrugged and looked around the cold, empty room. "I guess that's my problem."

She sighed and came to sit by me on my bed. "Oh, Kairi," she said. Her arm came to rest on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"What for?" I wondered, raising my eyebrows. "This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is," she said miserably. "If it weren't for me, that loser would have never found out about Riku. And Sora wouldn't be—" she stopped short.

I tried to comfort her. "If anybody's to blame, it's Setzer."

"Yeah, no kidding," she said sharply, her eyebrows pulling together angrily. "What a jerk!"

I grinned widely as the image of Setzer, wobbling and bleeding freely from the mouth came to mind. He'd left for good about an hour after his little announcement, too stunned and humiliated to do or say anything. A cheering mob had seen him off and a few tomatoes had been thrown at his stupid Blackjack ship.

"Sora and Riku were great, weren't they?" I said, staring off into space and smiling blissfully. I laughed.

"Yeah," Yuffie agreed. "They sure showed him. And Leon says that there's a petition going around for Sora's release."

"Really?"

"Yep. You made a good choice, Kairi. Setzer would have been the most unpopular king ever." She grimaced.

I smiled at her. "So you really think I did the right thing? I wasn't just being selfish?"

"Selfish? Well sure. You had to think of yourself in a situation like that. But there's no doubt that it was the right thing to do." She laughed.

I looked at the floor. "I'm sure the people aren't as... proud of me as they were before. They must think I'm a..." I didn't bother to finish.

She paused for a moment, mulling over something I'd said. "Um, wait here. I'll be right back," she finally said. Then she left me alone in my room. I sat there and stared at the wall until she came back. When she did, there was an enormous bouquet of roses in her arms, as well as three boxes of candy.

My eyes widened. "What are those?"

"Gifts from your admirers," she said, smirking. "And only a very small portion of them, I might add. There's a ton more downstairs."

"My... what?" I was bewildered.

"Your admirers," Yuffie said again. "Your faithful subjects sent them to let you know that they still support you and wish you the best. Chancellor Tsukada is keeping piles and piles of gifts in the entrance hall and he's ordered us to throw them away. He says you're not to see any of them, so I'm taking a risk bringing these here."

She dumped the roses in my lap, opened up a box of candy, and helped herself to a couple pieces.

"Wow," I said breathlessly. "Wow."

"I think I'll rescue some of the better ones," she mused, her voice thick with chocolate. "There was this satin box with a really pretty necklace in it that you might like."

"You can have it," I said, sniffing the roses. I looked up at her with a wide grin on my face. "This is crazy! And here I thought everybody would hate me!"

"Ha!" she laughed. "They're more loyal than you'd think."

"Obviously," I said. Then I frowned. "I wish there was some way for me to thank them."

She popped more candy in her mouth. "Oh, you'll think of something," she said, then headed for the door. "I'll bring up your dinner later."

"Okay. Thanks, Yuffie."

She smiled at me. "You're welcome."

~o~

Another lonely night stretched ahead of me, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep through this one at all. How could I possibly close my eyes when I knew that Sora was somewhere beneath me, in the cold and dark dungeon, all alone? It made me anxious, to be so close to him and be unable to see him.

So I tossed and turned in my ridiculously large bed until I could hardly stand it anymore. I sat up, turned my light on, and stared around the room to amuse myself. I wished I could get a book to read, but the library was on the other side of the castle.

I thought of Sora and wondered if he were freezing to death in that cold, dank, dark place. Did they get him a blanket, or was he just sleeping on the icy stone floor? Why didn't deserve a bed just as thick and warm and comfortable as mine? It wasn't fair.

I was so bored and lonely that I actually considered calling Yuffie with my servant's bell to come play a board game with me. I looked at the clock and laughed at the thought of her reaction; it was one-thirty.

Then, something in the corner of the room caught my eye. It was a black mop with a long wooden handle. Hmm. The maid must have left it there by accident.

I was so bored that I actually got up out of bed, walked across the room, and examined it. The mop fibers were surprisingly thin and fine. They were as black as coal, strangely enough. They even shone a little, so much that they almost looked like Yuffie's short black hair. And about the same length, too.

Suddenly, I had an idea. With a quiet giggle, I sprang to my feet and ran over to the place where the strings to my servant bells hung on the wall. I quickly picked out Yuffie's and gave it three sharp pulls in rapid succession. Then I waited.

After a very long time, Yuffie came stumbling into my room, bleary eyed and irritable. She was wearing a long, dark pink bathrobe that hung clear to her feet. The sight of her made me laugh.

"Who do you think you are, calling me up here in the middle of the night?" She growled. "I was trying to sleep, you know."

"Yeah me too, only I wasn't successful," I said, still giggling. "Yuffie, I need to ask you a favor."

She scowled at me and grumbled, "What kind of favor?"

"Can I borrow that bathrobe?"

She looked at me as though wondering if she were still asleep. "Um... what was that?"

"Can I borrow your bathrobe? And I need you to sleep in my bed and pretend like you're me until I get back."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh. That's all. And where will you be going?" She said with polite, mock indifference.

I picked up the mop, unscrewed the end attachment from the handle, and shook it out. Then I gave her a wide smile and said, "I'm going to go see Sora."

She could only gape at me as I pulled my hair back into a knob at the base of my neck, then plopped the tangled attachment on my head and arranged it to look like Yuffie's head of hair. I turned to grin at her. "What do you think?" I asked.

"What do I _think_?" She cried. "I think I'm gonna beat the crap out of you! My hair doesn't look anything like that!"

I threw back my head and laughed, but stopped short when I remembered the guards standing watch outside. "Gimme your robe," I whispered.

She shook her head slowly back and forth, but pulled it off, revealing a set of red cotton pajamas, and handed it to me. I slipped it on and pulled it tightly around me so that my own blue pajama pants and tank top did not show through.

"If I keep my head down and shuffle, I don't think they'll know the difference," I whispered, examining myself in the full-body mirror.

"Only if they think I'm a troll," Yuffie growled.

I tip-toed over to the lamp and turned it off. We were submerged in darkness. "Thanks, Yuffie. I'll be back in a couple hours," I whispered.

"Hmph," she said, and I heard her climb into my bed. "Don't get caught," she said sleepily.

"I won't."

"How will you get around the guards downstairs?" She asked.

"The prison guards aren't very... high quality guards," I said with a shrug. "I've got a diamond necklace on; I'll just bribe them."

"Well... be careful."

"I will."

I opened the door, walked outside, and shut it quietly behind me. Then, without looking at the faces of either of the guards who were standing on either side of the door, I power-walked out into the semi-dark hallway. They didn't try to stop me.

Ha! They'd fallen for it!

There were bright night-lights every one-hundred yards or so, so I found my way through downstairs fairly easily. But once I was headed down the narrow, winding staircase to the basement, I was submerged in semi-darkness. The lights flickered and the tile was cold.

My footsteps echoed off the vast walls and my own breath was so loud that it frightened me. It was dark and cold in the corridors in the daytime, too, but for some reason it hadn't been as frightening to me then. I took a different route than I had this afternoon, a route that would take me deeper into the castle.

I could hear voices as I got closer and closer to my destination and I could see a brighter light not far ahead. I came around a tight, narrow corner and there were two guards standing in front of a thick wooden door with a small, barred window in it. They stopped talking as soon as I appeared and watched me warily as I came closer. A torch on the wall cast flickering shadows over them.

They looked so intimidating, standing there in the flickering light. One was large with a curly black beard and fierce-looking eyes. The other was much younger, about seventeen, and had bright red hair and tons of freckles. I recognized him immediately as the guard who always used to accompany Chancellor Tsukada and I when we went about in the city on foot. I'd always liked him.

"Um, I need to speak to the prisoner," I said in a tiny, shaky voice. I directed my question at the redhead, but it was the other guard who answered me.

"No one is to speak to him but Chancellor Tsukada," the burly voice said. He gave me a strange look before continuing. "Those are our orders."

The boy was watching me with a curious expression on his face. His eyes kept flickering from my face to the tangled mess on my head and his lips began to slowly form a smile.

"And what if I were to give you this?" I asked, pulling the diamond necklace from around my neck and holding it out in the dim light. It sparkled.

The gruff guard looked somewhat tempted, but after a moment of indecision turned his nose up. "We have our orders," he repeated firmly.

"Why is it that you would want to speak to him in the middle of the night anyway, Princess?" The redhead asked, smirking at me. His colleague gasped as his eyes fell on my face.

I sighed and pulled the mop off my head. Then I pulled the elastic out of my hair so that it could fall around my face and make me more recognizable. The burly guard looked back and forth between us, mouth agape.

"You know why I'm here. Please help me," I said.

The burly guard shook his head. "We'd be killed for doing something like that," he said quickly, dismissively. "Sorry, Your Majesty, but we just can't let you."

I pulled the bathrobe more tightly around me and shivered. "Please. Please, I'm begging you. I'll give you anything you want."

He shook his head again and the redhead gave me an apologetic glance.

Suddenly there were footsteps. "Kairi?" A glorious, laughing voice said.

"Sora!" I gasped, running to the door. His hands reached for me through the bars and I grabbed them in my own. They were so cold.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, though there was definite excitement in his voice. "Won't you get in big trouble?"

"It doesn't matter," I said. "I had to come. They can't keep us apart, no matter what." I kissed his fingers joyfully they caressed my cheek. He was trembling, whether from the cold or something else I wasn't sure.

"Does he even have a blanket?" I said sharply, turning to the guards.

The redhead frowned. "No. Chancellor Tsukada told us not to give him anything, except a little food and a glass to drink from. He'll be fine though; there's a bathroom in there and a shower and everything—we checked before we locked him in. It's the nicest cell down here."

"But it's cold," I whined. "He'll freeze!"

"No, I'm fine Kairi. Really." His face was closer now and I could see that he was smiling widely. He was just happy to see me.

"Please let me in," I said to the guards. My eyes filled with tears. "I won't tell anyone. Nobody will ever know! Please, please, please."

"We can't," the burly guard said, looking rather upset as a tear coursed its way down my cheek. "Don't cry, Princess, please don't..."

But I let out a desperate sob and clutched Sora's fingers tighter against my face. "Just a little while! Please!" I wailed.

"Aw, c'mon, Jack," the redhead said after a moment. "She's right, nobody will find out."

The other guard grimaced. "You've got nerve, kid. Don't you know what will happen if she gets caught? If we get caught?"

"Sure I do. But we aren't gonna get caught, are we?"

The burly guard sighed.

With an impish smile, the redhead pulled the key from his belt and stepped over to the door. I beamed at him, then gave him a swift peck on the cheek before bounding out of his way. He blushed and smiled even wider, then unlocked the door and pulled it open enough for me to slip inside.

The click of the door being re-locked behind me only added to my excitement.

The long, strong arms were around me in an instant. I wrapped my own arms around his neck and clutched him to me, savoring the sweet, unique smell of his skin. I ran a hand through his spiky, tousled hair and noticed that it was shorter than I remembered it. His shoulders were much broader, too.

Then I could hear footsteps from outside. I turned an ear curiously toward the sound. "Where are they going?" I whispered.

I felt him shrug. "Giving us a little privacy, I guess."

"Hmm. That's nice of them." I buried my face in his hair.

"Yeah." There was a nervous tremor in his voice.

We were silent for a long moment. I wondered what could possibly be said in a moment like this. What words could begin to describe the feelings coursing through me? I had so many, many questions for him, and I was sure he had many to ask me, too. In reality, there was too _much_ to say. But no words would come.

"Sora?" I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I love you." Those words were so very simple. Simple, but sweet.

He held me tighter. "I love you more," he whispered against my ear. His teeth grazed my earlobe.

I laughed at the absurdity of that.

He pulled away from me for a second to look at my face. "You look… different. older."

I laughed. "Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. "What, do I have crow's feet?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not _that_ much older. I just meant that… well…" his skin darkened. "You look amazing, Kairi. You're even more beautiful than I remembered. And that's saying something."

"Oh." I blushed. "Um… thank you."

He pulled me close again. But not before I had time to scrutinize his features and notice the new touch of masculinity around his chin that I found different, but appealing nonetheless.

"You've grown up, you know," I said against his shoulder. It was easier to say when I couldn't see his expression. "You're not really a boy anymore, I guess. It's kind of sad, in some ways… but at the same time, I like it."

I reached up and stroked his jaw, a little curious of the subtle roughness that my fingers encountered there.

"Sorry about that. They said they'd give me a razor as soon as they could smuggle one in. These guards really aren't that bad. They try to make me as comfortable as possible."

He released me and his cold fingers began caressing my face again.

"Here," I said, shrugging out of Yuffie's bathrobe. "Put this on; you're freezing."

"No way," he said, pushing it back at me. "You need it more than I do. And besides, it's pink." He wrinkled his nose, then ran his hands along my bare shoulders. I shivered with delight. Apparently he thought I had shivered with cold, because he let his hands fall to his sides.

"Stop being chivalrous," I said. He just laughed.

I looked curiously around the room. It was dark and dingy and gray. Through an open doorway I could see a tiny washbasin and a shower.

"Are you… alright in here?" I asked, looking anxiously up at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, shrugging. "I have a place to shower and brush my teeth. I just get water out of the sink in there. And they feed me enough, for the most part."

I frowned. I didn't like the idea of him being here in this dark, cold, lonely place. I reached for him, but he still wouldn't reach for me. His hands were still limp at his sides.

Then I had an idea. "Where's your bed at?"

He laughed and pointed at a wide bench in the corner. "If you can call it that."

I took his hand in mine and pulled him over to it. We sat down on one end and I curled up against his shoulder and threw the long bathrobe over us like a blanket. I wrapped my arms around his neck and, without thinking of his reaction, kissed his cheek.

For a second the air was still. Then his hands were cradling my face and his breath was coming hard and fast in my ears. I searched for him frantically, almost painfully, in the dark.

He kissed me very softly at first, but he didn't do it in the teasing, seductive way that Riku had. Rather, he was hesitant and unsure. His lips were light and intuitive as they waited for some kind of response from mine. Waited to ensure that the energy he felt between us was not merely one-sided.

But I couldn't stand any more speculation. Not from him. He smelled way too good and his skin was way too warm and soft—it was purely torturous of him to hold me at a distance. I couldn't stand any more games. Because in truth, I wanted him so badly that it hurt—I wanted to feel his long, sinewy body against my own and run my hands through his hair till it stood on end.

So I stood on my knees, threw one of my legs over his lap so that I was directly in front of him, then sat down. He seemed a little surprised at first—but then his arms constricted around my waist, pulling me closer to him—as if it were necessary. Because I had already pressed my body against his as hard as I could. His lips came down braver and stronger on mine, and I kissed him back with a silent, desperate fervor.

There was no craftiness to the way he touched me; nothing that was precontrived or well practiced. There was only raw energy and raw desire.

And I loved it. There was fire everywhere. My blood seemed to be boiling under my skin and my thundering heartbeat nearly drowned out the deep, shuddering gasps that came from our mouths when we pulled apart to breathe.

This was so much more. So much more than I had ever known. The wounded half of my heart was beating like a war drum, surpassing the other half in both strength and speed. The fire was there too, fueling it on even faster and faster and faster until I was sure it would combust. It was healed.

The other half slowed, until it was frozen in a state of agonizing shock.

But the fire blazed on and I couldn't dwell on the other half of my heart whose glory was dull and cold in comparison. Because even though Riku was sexy and suave, Sora was just…_Sora_.

His hands were warm now and they were clutching and sliding along my bare, smooth arms. I was trembling beneath him. I desperately wanted the heat that radiated from his body to engulf me in all its entirety. I wanted it so badly that I actually moaned with longing. At this sound, his breathing hitched and his arms tightened around my body.

I let my hands trail down his chest, then my fingers found their way beneath his shirt and onto his warm stomach. I pulled the fabric upwards and he must have understood what I wanted because he pulled the shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor.

His stomach and chest were hard and muscled. The skin was so smooth that my fingers slid across it effortlessly. When I released his lips to watch my fingertips as they danced over his warm, suntanned pecks, his eyes followed them from beneath their curtain of thick, dark lashes. He shivered a little as my thumb brushed his nipple, then took my chin in one hand and guided my face back to his.

The warmth of his smooth, half-naked body seeped through my clothes and left my mind in a delicious haze. And yet I was hyper-aware of his fingers as they traced my tank top straps hungrily. A little knot of anticipation began to form in my stomach, but the straps stayed in place and the fingers continued their journey down my arms and across my stomach.

Our lips continued their frantic dance as I traced every muscle and every inch of his chest. I wanted to memorize him, memorize every cell of his body, so that I could have him with me for every moment of every day. The thought of letting go of him, even for just a moment, was torturous…

Suddenly, he stiffened beneath my touch. He cocked his head and I reluctantly released him.

There were voices, coming closer and closer down the passage. I could hear the burly guard and then a swift, fluid, low reply, a voice that I recognized...

"Riku!" I whispered. Sora nodded. I groaned. This was going to be so awkward. I leapt up, picked up the T-shirt on the floor, and handed it to Sora. He gave me a strange look before putting it back on.

"Riku," I called, walking to the door and peeking out. "We're in here!"

"I know," was his quiet response. I could see him now, coming with the guards. His silvery hair was falling into his eyes and his expression was blank. He was so good at hiding the things he didn't want anyone to see.

"We told him we'd let him in if you said it was okay," the redhead was saying. "He wants to see Sora."

"Of course," I said quickly. "Riku is our best friend!"

The latter grimaced.


	8. A Valediction

8

A Valediction

The door opened, Riku stepped inside, and the redhead locked us in with a teasing smile. "We can't have any jail breaks," he said, chortling.

"I'm not gonna try and get out," Sora said. "Don't worry about it."

The guards left us after a minute or so, and we stood in the doorway of the cell, the three of us, together again.

"Thanks, you two," I said quietly, and their eyes fell on me. "Thanks for standing up for me today. It really meant... a lot," I choked up a little. "It meant a lot to my people, too. You guys are heroes."

Riku scowled. "I couldn't just stand there," he said sharply. "I couldn't believe that son-of-a—" he stopped himself. "—that _idiot_ would say all those things. All those things about you."

"Yeah. He was spreading dirty lies around. We couldn't just ignore him," Sora added.

Riku and I exchanged glances.

"Well it was nice to see, either way," I said with a giggle. "You have no idea what a moron he is. I've had to endure hours and hours of 'Setzer this' and 'Setzer that'. _I've_ wanted to hit him for a long, long time, but I knew he'd go crying to Chancellor Tsukada if I did."

"Well sorry we didn't get the job done sooner," Sora said lightly.

I beamed at them. "It's okay. The important thing is that you're here now—both of you."

I reached out, wrapped an arm around each of their solid waists, then pulled them into a bear hug. They conked heads, and with a muffled "Ouch," Riku stiffened and leaned away from us. "Can we _please_ keep the mushiness to a minimum?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

Sora laughed and wormed his way out of my grasp as well. "Yeah Kairi," he said. "You'd be better off hugging a _cactus_ than Riku."

I smiled and shook my head. We definitely had conflicting opinions on _that_ subject. But I wasn't going to dispute the matter in light of what was going on.

As I stood between them, I couldn't help but notice how tall they'd both gotten. I eyed them over thoughtfully, then said, "Looks like you guys have been eating your veggies."

Riku snorted, and Sora laughed aloud. "What veggies?" He chortled. "I haven't had a decent meal since who-knows-when, let alone any veggies."

Riku rolled his eyes. "That'd explain why you're still so scrawny," he said, a little condescendingly.

"Hey!" Sora said, running his hands over his biceps self-consciously, "I'm getting there."

"Let's hope so, keyblade _master_."

Before Sora could retort, his stomach released a deep, rumbling growl.

That worried me. "I should have brought you something to eat," I said anxiously. "I wish I'd known…"

"How could you have?" Sora asked, shrugging. "It's not a big deal, Kairi."

"But Sora, you—"

He interrupted me with a firm, "I'm fine, Kairi," and I suspected that it was because he didn't want to sound whiny in front of Riku. He changed the subject by putting his hands casually behind his head, turning to him, and asking, "So... what did you do after we lost track of King Mickey?" His voice was light and conversational—but I was sure that this simple and seemingly harmless question would rub Riku the wrong way. And I was right.

His eyes were suddenly ice cold and speculative in their lofty frames. He glared at Sora for a moment, then said, "Well… _I_ started looking for Kairi." There was something stiff and accusatory about the way he said it. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Oh," Sora said, obviously puzzled by the distinct chill in Riku's voice. His eyebrows pulled together. "Really?"

"Yeah. What did _you_ do?" Riku asked pointedly. His mouth was a thin, hard line.

"Erm…" Sora's eyes flickered to mine; he was obviously wondering what he was missing here. I'm sure my expression wasn't very helpful; there was nothing but an odd, tight sort of fear in my chest.

"Did you go find your _friends_?" Riku prompted, eyes narrowing.

Sora frowned. "Um… yeah. Disney Castle was in complete chaos, so I went over there and helped them out. And then they came with me—Donald and Goofy. I think we went to Agrabah after that…"

"Mmm," Riku said shrewdly. "With your _friends_."

Sora raised an eyebrow—obviously he was still in the dark as to why Riku was treating him like a pariah and emphasizing random words. "Yeah."

I shook my head ever so slightly, and Riku's eyes met mine. One corner of his mouth twisted up in a humorless smile, and his eyes snapped at me in a way that said _I told you so._

"So… I guess you found Kairi," Sora said, eyeing Riku and I over in turn. "Right?"

"Yep," Riku said, and his eyes didn't leave my face. "It took me a long time to find Destiny Islands again. A lot of warp holes, a lot of mysterious worlds, a lot of Heartless. And then I got there and found out she was gone."

Sora nodded. "Me too. I mean, I made it back to the islands okay, but… I was too late. And when I asked people where she'd been taken, no one even knew! I kinda just had to guess where she was. But luckily, it turns out I was right."

Apparently his search had been smoother than Riku's. Effortless, almost. Oddly enough, this didn't really comfort me. But I only said, "Yep. They came and took me away right after you two left. And they weren't allowed to say where they were taking me."

"Oh. That'd explain it," Sora said lightly.

There were definitely stirrings of anger beneath Riku's cool façade, now. I wished he would just leave it alone—all of it. Lock it in a chest, throw away the key, and pretend like everything was butterflies and rainbows. But how could I communicate that to him now, with Sora around? Or, more importantly, how could I even communicate that to him at all?

"Well, I'm sure you're tired, Sora," I said quickly, with the air of a bored hospital visitor. "We should let you get some sleep." All I wanted to do was escape the impending disaster that was the three of us in one room for an extended period of time.

Sora looked at me somewhat incredulously. Wondering what had happened to the girl that was ripping his clothes off a moment ago, no doubt. "I'm not that tired," he said, eyebrows pulling together. "I mean… I'd rather be with you guys."

I winced. Great. Just marvelous. We'd have a tea party. And eat crumpets.

"That's funny, Sora," Riku said coldly. "Cuz that's not the impression I got."

_Shut up, Riku! _Why was he doing this? I wanted to curl up in a ball and cover my ears. Or run away. But I didn't have either of these options, so I held my breath and looked at the floor.

Sora stared at him for a moment, and then a scowl twisted his lips. His breath came out in a loud, frustrated huff, and he said, "Riku, what is your _problem_?"

"My problem?" Riku repeated, coldly and seemingly impartially.

"Yeah. You've had some kind of beef with me ever since we left the islands." He didn't sound as angry as he sounded confused, but Riku still took offense.

I looked up in time to see the fury in his eyes become completely unmasked; they burned like pale blue fire. "Well," he said in a low, dangerous voice, "I don't know if you remember the part where you chopped my face open or not," he said, pointing to the scar on his chin.

Sora looked startled, then at last, angry. "Well do _you_ remember the part where you were already wailing on me for no reason at all? Ever heard of self-defense?"

And as suddenly as it had appeared, Riku's fury retreated behind its careful mask. "We were training. That's all."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "Supposedly."

There was venom in Riku's agreement. "Supposedly."

I gaped at them for a moment. Could this really be happening? I didn't want to believe it. I _tried_ not to believe it. I tried to think better days, days filled with sun and sand. I tried to think of two boys, younger and happier, who'd run races around the island, laughing and talking and reveling in their own loyal, boyish camaraderie. Their love had been so absolute.

And then I'd come along. What a monster I was!

"Princess?" A loud, startling voice said. "Your Majesty?"

Riku, Sora and I nearly jumped out of our skins. "Yes?" I asked, and my voice trembled like a leaf.

"It's nearly dawn. I'm afraid you and the other boy will have to be going, now." I recognized his voice. It was the redheaded guard.

"Oh," I said, and relief washed through me as though the boy thrown me a life-preserver rather than just a few words. I turned to Sora and Riku, only to find that they were still glaring at each other.

"I'm really sorry," the boy went on. I heard the jingling of keys as he unlocked the door behind me.

"It's fine," I answered slowly and a little too casually. Sora looked at me with hurt and disbelief, while Riku merely looked irritated.

What possibly both of them didn't realize was that I felt like I was leaving part of myself behind in this cell. I _wanted_ to run into Sora's arms and kiss him and refuse to move, but I knew that doing so in front of Riku would only hurt him. So I merely swallowed my tears and pulled that stupid mop from the pocket of Yuffie's robe. The burly guard closed the door behind Riku and me, then locked it with a heavy jingling of keys. The metallic click sounded so final.

Riku didn't say anything to me on the long walk back upstairs, so I was able to hide my desolation fairly easily. I let a curtain of my long, dark red hair separate us, and I walked with my head down and my arms wrapped tightly around my chest.

When we were in the dim entrance hall, he gently touched my shoulder. I turned to him and, though I'd never been much of actress, managed to give him a casually curious look.

I couldn't hold it for long though. Riku's face was hard and still, but I knew him well enough that I could see a tempest raging beneath the silent surface of his aqua-blue eyes. The lump in my throat returned; I couldn't handle any more of this.

More tears spilled. Why did I cry so much? I was such a bawl baby. He reached up and caressed my cheek with his hand. But the tender touch which had felt so nice and comforting to me before was now cold on my skin. It was nothing compared to the flames that erupted when Sora touched me. It did not make my heart fly. And worst of all, it made _both_ halves of it ache.

I reached up and caught the hand in my own; It froze, stiff and cold in mine. "Riku..." I whispered, lowering it away from my face.

Very, very slowly, he pulled it away. I forced my clasping fingers to loosen their grip, though I didn't want to. He closed his eyes, but I caught a glimpse of what smoldered in them before they slipped beneath their lids: Anger. Bitterness.

We stood there for a long time. Riku's eyebrows pulled together, and his mouth became a thin, taut, angry line. I hated to see him like this. It hurt me so much—hurt both of us. But what else could I do? I loved him. But the half of my heart that belonged to him was just so cold compared to the other half.

I could try to make him happy. I could pretend like he had a fighting chance. But it wouldn't be fair to Sora, and it wouldn't be fair to me.

But most of all, it wouldn't be fair to Riku.

It would be cruel to give him any more false hopes, because if I were forced to choose between the two people that I loved most in all the worlds, it would be out of my hands. I'd already chosen, a long time ago. Sora was my everything; I loved him more than life itself.

And as much as Riku meant to me, it was never meant to be. As much as the half of me that belonged to him wanted it to be true, there was just no way. Our relationship was a freak accident—it wasn't natural, and its gruesome side-effects were taking a serious toll on both of us.

It wasn't healthy... so I had to end it now. And it was going to hurt like hell. But I had to be brave.

"Riku," I whispered again, and my voice shook. "Please don't—"

"Don't worry about it, Kairi," he said in a hard, flat voice. "I get it. You don't need me anymore."

My eyes were wide and round. "No," I gasped. "No Riku, it's not like that…"

"Then what is it?" He sneered, and his eyes were so full of bitter hatred that it upset me. "I came to see you and found Yuffie asleep in your bed, so I knew where you'd gone. I knew that I'd been replaced. I guess it was pretty easy for you, huh?"

"No!" I cried. "No, I wasn't replacing you, I—"

"Guess I'm disposable as far as you're concerned."

"No, Riku!"

"It's okay, I get it," his hands were balled into trembling fists. "You've got something better now. I'm just a—"

"Will you shut the hell up!" I cried, stomping my foot, and his teeth came together with a loud snap. "There's no way I could ever replace you, Riku! Half of who I am _belongs _to you!"

He stared at me for a moment, and some of his fury cooled. He turned his head to the side, took a deep shuddering breath, and very quietly asked, "What do you mean? That doesn't make any sense."

"I mean that... I love you," I said, very, very softly. "I love you _so_ much... But it just isn't enough, Riku."

He swallowed hard, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

"But don't get me wrong," I said quietly, yet fiercely. "There's a part of my heart that will always, _always_ be yours. No matter what. Even when I'm old and gray and can't remember my own name anymore, it will still beat for you. Some things are permanent."

He gazed at the floor, his face filled with agony now instead of the mask of fury that it had hidden behind. "But you love Sora."

"Yes," I said softly. "It was meant to be, whereas you and I..."

"Weren't," he said, and some of the bitterness returned.

"Right," I murmured, and took a deep breath before continuing. "Remember what I said... about this thing killing us?"

He looked away from me. "Yeah," he said stiffly.

"Well it's going to hurt bad," I said, "but we're going to put an end to it, and we're going to keep living. We've got to do it. For him."

His mouth twisted into a furious scowl, and he snarled, "I don't owe Sora anything. He's the one who owes _me_."

"Don't say that, Riku," I moaned. "He's your best friend. He loves you. Don't let this come between you two."

Riku sighed and closed his eyes. For what could have been minutes or hours he simply stood there, fighting against the waves of torment that crashed against his body. It was painful for me to watch, indecent, even… Riku had always been a rock in my life, someone strong and immovable, someone I could always look to for solidarity and protection. Even when he'd been fighting the darkness inside his heart, I'd never seen him so vulnerable. And it was all my fault. I looked at the floor, throat tightening and eyes prickling.

Finally, he spoke. "I can't just forgive and forget," he said slowly, tremulously. "You're too much to lose. I mean... how could I not have loved you when you were always so sweet, so perfect, so _you_? I tried to forget you, for him. But then I came here and you were so lonely... and still just as sweet and good as I remembered you. And so beautiful that I couldn't keep my eyes off you. What else was I supposed to do?" The last part came out as a demand. "Sora might be my best friend, but he's ruining my life. I wish he'd just go away again."

I was crying again. "I'm sorry. But I don't."

His mouth twisted into another scowl. "Right," he said bitterly. "Right." He rocked back and forth from his heels to his toes for a moment, then set off at a brisk pace toward the kitchens, where the back doors were always unlocked.

I caught him by the arm. "Riku, don't go," I said, sliding along as I tried to stop him. "Don't."

He lurched to a stop. "No, _you_ don't, Kairi," he said angrily. "You can have me as your own or not at all."

A sob escaped from my throat. Again, I had to focus to pry my fingers from him, and once I had let him go I wrapped my arms around my chest. I sobbed and sobbed, and after a long time I began to wonder if he was gone. I tried to find him in the dark, but my vision was so blurred with tears that I couldn't see.

"Aw Kairi," his voice moaned, and suddenly his arms were around me. "I can't. I can't stay here with you two. Tonight was bad enough."

I cried harder now that he was closer to me, because it couldn't last. I knew that he would go far away now, and it was possible that he would never come back. Why was he doing this to me? And Sora? We were finally all together again.

Then again, how much could one human soul be forced to endure? Riku and I could not resume our friendship again—it seemed to have withered and died in the shadow of our growing love, which had been so much stronger. So there was no reason for him to stay here. I had hurt him so much. And Sora had, as far as Riku was concerned, stolen away the most important thing in his life. It would be selfish of me to hold him here. It would be cruel.

In that moment, I absolutely hated myself.

"I understand," I whispered, and half of my heart seared. "You have to leave."

He nodded slowly. "I'll come back to see you again... some day. But that's the most I can promise."

I stifled another sob, and he held me close.

"This is the path you've chosen," Riku said, "For both of us. So I guess this is goodbye." There was cold resignation in his voice.

I nodded, but there was pain everywhere.

"It has to be this way."

I kept nodding, because I knew if I spoke I'd lose it again.

He pulled out of our embrace, but his hands found mine and held them firmly at my sides. His eyes bored into mine, and it was almost as though they were memorizing every line of them, just as mine were memorizing his.

His voice was husky as he said, "One for the road—to remember you by?" and then cocked his head and leaned carefully toward me. He gave my lips a final, careful taste. I wanted to hold him, but my hands were still locked firmly in his. After a long moment, he pulled away, and all at once my hands were free and he was walking away from me into the darkness.

I gasped. I wanted to run after him, to cry and beg him to stay. But in that moment I knew what was right, I knew what was good. And so I wrapped my arms around my chest and swallowed back the tears.

"Goodbye, Riku," I said steadily.

"Goodbye, Kairi," he said, from somewhere within the darkness where I could no longer see him.

And then when he was gone, when there was no way I could call him back, no way I could ever hold him down again, I fell to my knees and let the darkness come over me as well. "Riku," I whimpered. "Riku."

~o~

The mountains beyond the stained-glass windows were pressing the sun into a dull gray sky as I slipped past the guards, eyes averted, and made my way into my room. Yuffie was awake, sitting on my bed and giving me an irritated look. Her short tufts of black hair were sticking in every direction.

"You're begging for trouble, missy," she said, standing up and folding her arms. "Do you know how late it is?"

"Yeah," I said quietly, removing the mop and bathrobe with slow, deliberate movements. "But I made it, so there's really no harm done." Some part of me was aware of how zombie-like my voice sounded. But I found that I didn't care.

She rolled her eyes. "What if you'd met someone coming up the stairs? It's almost six o'clock. Everyone is up. And I really need to get down to the kitchens," she added, glancing nervously at the clock beside my bed.

"Okay. See ya."

She stared at me for a moment, frowning. "You look like hell."

I shrugged. "Well… I _feel_ like hell, actually."

She gave me a long, pitiful look, then glanced at the clock again and said, "Listen—Kairi. We'll talk later. I've got to get going. Try and get a little sleep and don't think too much."

Excellent advice. But easier said than done. "Okay, see you," I said. My voice trembled.

She gave me a parting grimace before putting her robe back on and slipping out the door.

Only as I flopped down on my enormous bed did I realize how completely exhausted I was. I hadn't been sleeping well at all for the past few nights. The silk was so soft, so slippery, so comfortable... I closed my eyes and drifted.

After an eternity of dark, warm nothingness, I awoke to Yuffie's unusually gentle voice, "Kairi."

I opened my eyes, and the air stung them. The room was filled with artificial light, and Yuffie was sitting on the end of my bed. There was some spaghetti on a tray in her arms, and she was scowling at me again.

I groaned and sat up. "What time is it? How long have I been sleeping?"

"A while," Yuffie said soothingly. "Don't worry about it."

"How long?" I insisted.

She sighed. "Thirteen hours."

I gasped.

"Calm down. You didn't miss anything anyway. Remember? You're confined to your room. I was just thinking that you might be getting pretty hungry."

I _was_ hungry. My stomach yowled, and I reached out for my dinner almost involuntarily.

While I ate she told me all about the situation downstairs. "More people are petitioning for Sora's release," she said, helping herself to a piece of my toast. "And they're getting pretty worked up about it. Chancellor Tsukada is fighting like a cornered fox, though. He's not going to let Sora go if he can help it."

"What do the royal advisors say?" I wondered.

"They think that he should let Sora go, considering who he is. But Chancellor Tsukada won't budge."

I sighed. "This isn't fair. I'm the princess. I should have a say in all this."

"Why do you think he's got you locked up in your room? He doesn't want any interference from you." She shrugged. "It isn't fair, but he can do whatever he wants."

"I'm sure Ansem the Wise would be very proud of him," I said sarcastically. "What courage! What compassion!"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. I stood up, a little shakily. Then I went into my closet to find a change of clothes.

"By the way, I haven't seen Riku since he punched Setzer's stupid face yesterday. Have you heard anything from him?"

"Um... yeah," I said as I scanned the rows and rows of clothes.

"How? There's a reward for anybody who brings him in, but don't worry; I don't think they will," she said.

"He came to see me and Sora last night," I said after a moment of hesitation.

Yuffie's head came around the corner, her dark eyes wide with surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask."

"Oh, come on, Kairi," she said, rolling her eyes.

I shrugged, but didn't offer any information.

"That had to have been a pretty awkward situation," Yuffie mused as I halfheartedly examined my selection of miniskirts. "I bet Riku was peeved. Did you tell Sora that you two have been... you know… messing around while he was gone?" She chortled a little.

"No," I said simply.

"Is Riku going to tell him?"

"No," I automatically repeated, still running my fingers absentmindedly through my wardrobe.

"Why not?"

I sighed. "Yuffie... Riku left last night. This morning actually. And he isn't coming back." At these words, something icy seemed to slice its way through my heart.

She gasped. "What—but—why?"

"Because," I said softly, and my eyes filled with tears. I looked at the floor and tried to swallow them back. "It wouldn't be fair to make him stay. He'd be miserable. And I can't stand to hurt him anymore."

She came over to me and put her arm around my shoulder. "Did you talk about this?"

"Yes. It's what he wanted."

"Well..." she sighed and gave me a tiny smile. "I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. Riku's a tough kid. He'll get over it."

I frowned at her; she was talking gibberish. "Get over it? No he won't. And I won't either."

She sighed. "Kairi... Time heals all wounds."

I shook my head. "Not _all _wounds."

"Well... what happened between you two might have been a little stronger than an everyday teenage romance," she agreed. "But trust me, he'll get over it. You both will. It just takes time."

I smiled to pacify her, but the half of my heart that belonged to Riku ached. I knew she was wrong; she just had to be. How could wounds like these _ever_ heal?

Yuffie walked back into my bedroom and sat down on the bed, then began a long and rambling story about a theft from a supermarket across from Cid's. As she talked, I continued my search for something to wear, something fitting for the cold, dark dungeons…

I stumbled across a few sweaters and hoodies, but as I selected one from the rack, I hesitated. The memory of Sora's hot, smooth skin on my shoulders, my arms, and my neck was fresh on my mind. These sweaters were just so... concealing.

I blushed and darted to the other side of my closet. Might as well fan the flames a tiny bit...

I put on my favorite push-up bra, and then an orange V-neck tank top. My blush became more and more pronounced as I found my way over to a pair of tiny denim shorts. They were light blue and very worn looking. I slipped into them, and then made a break for the bathroom.

Yuffie spotted me. "Um... where are you going?" she asked, her eyebrows raised to the heavens.

"To see Sora," I said quickly.

"Are you kidding me?" She groaned. "There's no way that stupid disguise is going to work again. You're begging for trouble, Kairi."

"I'll be fine."

She put her hands on her hips and followed me into the bathroom. I picked up a brush and started to run it through my hair, and she looked me up and down while I did. Her mouth was turned down at the corners.

"What?" I asked, embarrassed.

"You look like you're going to the beach. It's cold down there, you know."

"I'll be wearing your bathrobe, remember?"

"It's down in my room."

I gave her a tentative smile. "Will you get it for me? Please? Please?"

She scowled at me.

"Oh come on Yuffie. Have a heart. You can't honestly expect me to lay here awake and alone all night long."

"I'm just worried about your lack of common sense," she said after a moment. "But I guess I can't really tell you what to do. You are, after all, the princess."

"That hasn't stopped you before."

She laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. "True. But you've grown up a lot over the last couple of days. I'll go get the robe. But you can't leave for another three or four hours, you know. It's only seven."

I groaned.

"Just be patient." She hesitated, and worry flashed across her face. "Are you sure you want to risk it? Again?"

"I have to."

"Why?"

I sighed. "Because I _love_ him, Yuffie."

"So what? That doesn't mean you have to do something this stupid," She said.

I smirked at her, then turned her own words against her. "Love doesn't have to make sense."

She smiled a little bit, then said, "Fine… but you need to come back earlier this time. Okay?"

"Okay."

~o~

After an eternity of pacing and clasping my sweaty hands together, I got the "Okay" from Yuffie that I was waiting for. It was almost twelve thirty in the morning, and the castle had drifted into an easy silence around us. I donned my disguise and headed off.

I kept my eyes averted as I passed the guards at my door, but I had an uneasy feeling that they were suspicious. I could feel their gaze on my back until I went around the first corner. Even as I faded in and out of blackness and dim yellow light, I felt as though I were being watched. I tried to shrug the feeling off, but it didn't go away.

I went down the stairs and nearly ran across the glass-smooth floor of the entrance hall. The mop fell off my head and onto the floor with a loud _fwump_, and I picked it up as swiftly as I could but did not put it back on. As I went around the corner, I heard footsteps.

I panicked. Rather than trying to hide, I gasped and ran as fast as I could away from the sound, my footsteps echoing off the cavernous walls. I heard a shout, and then the pounding steps of pursuers.

I screamed when wide, rough hands caught me by the arms. I wriggled and flailed and tried to get free, but whoever had a hold on me was as strong and solid as stone. I opened my eyes and saw an unfamiliar face high above me. The man was wearing armor, so he must have been a guard.

And suddenly there were more of them, surrounding me. I heard panting, and then a high voice that I had no trouble identifying.

"Kairi," Chancellor Tsukada said. "Though I can't say I'm surprised, I am vastly disappointed."

I searched the sea of faces until I found his. His mouth was a straight, angry line and his eyes flashed. Even the ends of his mustache pointed up angrily.

"Let me go!" I wailed, trying to worm my way free. The guard only tightened his hold in response.

"I believe I told you to stay in your room," Chancellor Tsukada said dangerously. "And then I find you sneaking around the castle at night, just like the patrolman said. Explain yourself."

"I'm not a prisoner," I said. "And I don't have to tell you anything."

He scowled harder and wagged his head back and forth. "I would think that, given the circumstances, you would be more than willing to cooperate."

"Oh would you?" I said, still wriggling.

"Yes," he answered, and a cruel smile twisted his mouth. "Unless of course, you'd rather that your little friend in the dungeons was thrown in the pit with no food or water or light of any kind? I'm told it's a difficult place to survive long."

I gasped. "You monster!" I yelled, unable to comprehend such cruelty.

"So," Chancellor Tsukada said evenly, examining his fingernails in the dim light. "Let's try this again. Where were you going?"

I seethed at him in silence.

"No? You aren't going to tell me? Well then..."

"If you hurt him," I said in a low, trembling voice, "You'll regret it."

He gave me that same, sadistic smile. "You don't say."

"I'm not willing to live without Sora. If anything happens to him, I _will_ find a way to make you sorry."

"And how will that be?" He sneered. "You're never leaving your room again. Going to color on the walls, are you? Or scatter your toys across the floor?"

One of the guards chortled.

My mind dashed in frantic circles, searching for an adequate threat. What could Chancellor Tsukada possibly fear from a skinny and seemingly harmless creature like myself? Nothing, really… except…

"It would be pretty easy for me to jump out a window," I said slowly and thoughtfully. "Or hang myself with my own sheets from a light fixture. I'm not picky, really."

His face blanched as realization struck him; I saw his mouth working, but no sound came out. His eyebrows pulled together, and there was deep indecision written across his face.

"I guess you would become king if I killed myself," I mused to the general astonishment of the on-looking guards, "but I don't think you'd be a very popular one. Killing the keyblade bearer _and_ the princess? I don't think the people would be too fond of the idea." My voice was low, smooth, and impressive.

But in reality, I was grasping at straws. Obviously I wasn't the suicidal type, but if Sora's well-being depended on my acting skills, I _would_ give a Grammy-winning performance. My heart was crashing against my ribcage, but I did not lower my gaze from Chancellor Tsukada's.

"We could isolate you," Chancellor Tsukada said quickly, almost desperately, "We could tie you up or lock you in the dungeon…"

I swallowed hard, but somehow managed retort in a slightly bored voice. "You could. But still, it wouldn't be hard to starve myself. Painful, yes, but as I said before, I'm not picky."

He shook his head and gnashed his teeth together in apparent disbelief. "You're bluffing!" He finally said. "You're bluffing!"

I shrugged again, feeling that, somehow, feigning indifference to his huffing and puffing would make my threat seem all the more real…

He watched me in a panicked silence. I could tell that he didn't want to believe that I was telling the truth, but on the other hand, he didn't want to take any risks. He knew that my suicide would be the end of his political career.

He had told me that he cared for me, but now it was easy for me to see that such was not the case. There was only one reason for his hesitation at the prospect of my death, and that was his own interests.

"Fine," he finally snarled. "Fine. I won't kill the commoner. But you are going to be locked in your room until I can find another suitable suitor for you. I'm tired of your disobedience and your childishness."

I glared at him.

"Take her away," Chancellor Tsukada barked, and the guards began to drag me toward the stairs. "And I want two guards stationed around her bed at night as well as outside her doors!"

"What?" I shouted. "In my room? No! How dare you!"

"Those are orders!" He shouted over me, a slightly hysterical note in his voice. "I am in command here! And you will do as I say!"

Fury made my hands tremble. But there was nothing I could do; in the grip of these Neanderthal-ish guards I was completely helpless. Their hands were tight enough around my arms that they were sure to be black and blue.

"Fine!" I yelled, some part of me still managing to remain defiant. "But you can't keep me there forever! The people won't let you! Sora won't let you!"

"We'll see," he said darkly, and then he turned and swept away. I stopped fighting and allowed myself to be towed off. There seemed to be, after all, no alternative.

It looked like I wouldn't be seeing Sora again for a long, long time. The thought put a lump in my throat.


	9. In an Azure Sky

9

In An Azure Sky

The next two days passed in agonizing slowness. Yuffie came during the day as often as she could, but she couldn't stay long. When she left me alone I was so bored that the whole throwing myself out the window idea actually sounded tempting. Sometimes I slept in the daytime, because I spent the nights lying still and frightened in my bed with two big guards standing nearby. Their heavy breathing told me that they were relaxed and near sleep, but I was still wary of them.

On the second night, I was curled up in a ball listening to that same dull, deep breathing, wondering if Sora was alright and if Chancellor Tsukada would keep his word. Suddenly my bed frame creaked, and I bolted upright, eyes wide with terror.

But it was just one of the guards, leaning up against the foot of my bed in exhaustion. My heart was still pounding, however, and I knew that my frazzled nerves wouldn't be able to stand much more of this. I got out of bed and went into my bathroom to be alone.

I shut the door behind me, turned on the light, and sat down on the cold, hard tile. What was I going to do? I couldn't spend every night like this for the rest of my life.

How could my own uncle be doing this to me? I'd never thought of Chancellor Tsukada as a cruel man until now. Sure, he was crazy about rules and chastised me when my manners weren't proper, but he'd never been horrible to me before.

Now that I knew the truth, it wounded me. Selfish. Spiteful. Dishonest. Uncaring. And I had thought him to be my guardian, my mentor, my friend.

I fell asleep feeling more sad and alone than ever. When I awoke, I was leaning against the wall with my knees against my chest. My head throbbed as I got to my feet.

Then I heard a voice from my bedroom. Yuffie. She was probably asking the guards where I was.

The door opened, and she came in and closed it softly behind her. "I don't approve of this at all," she said quietly. "I know I wouldn't be able to sleep with two strange men standing watch over my bed. How are you supposed to get any rest?"

"I could sleep all day, I guess," I sighed. "But then there's nothing for me to do at night but lay there and think."

"The guard said you'd been in here half the night," she said.

"Yeah, I slept on the floor," I said, shrugging.

She shook her head back and forth, but when she looked at me again, her eyes were bright and filled with excitement. As I gaped at her, a smile spread across her face.

"Yuffie?" I said quickly, "What is it?"

"Shhh," she said, but her smile only got wider. "I have something for you. One of the prison guards gave it to Leon, and he gave it to me."

"What is it?" I wondered, eyes widening.

"Here." She reached in her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper that was folded into fourths. It was thick, heavy stuff. She handed it to me, and I ran my fingers over its rough surface.

I looked up at her curiously. "Is it from Sora?" I asked quietly.

She nodded. "I haven't read it or anything, that's just what Leon told me." She stood up and went to the door again. "I've got to go down to the kitchens for a minute, but I'll be right back."

I nodded as she closed the door softly behind her, then unfolded the paper with trembling hands. I felt a quick flash of disappointment, however, when I saw that Sora's hasty, untidy scrawl only took up a quarter of one line. But the feeling didn't last long, because while his message was brief, there was infinite meaning in those four spiky, painfully written words.

I read them twice. Three times. A fourth time. It felt like a cold, smooth stone had slid down my throat and into my stomach, where it came to rest and seethed its icy numbness into my entire body.

_ Kairi. Is it true?_

There were several finger-sized dents in the paper, and the message it contained was written so shakily that it was rather difficult to read. It was easy to see what these words had cost him, few and simple though they were. It was as though he had bled them onto the page.

I sat there for a long time, staring at them, unable to breathe or even bat an eyelash. I was completely numb. I suppose I should have felt s_omething_. Shame. Sorrow. Regret. Anything. But I was completely numb.

"Sora," I murmured, touching the crumpled paper. How had he found out? I couldn't imagine Leon or Yuffie saying anything to him. But who else _knew_?

The guards! My hand flew to my throat. They must have been in the square when Setzer had made his little announcement. Would they have told Sora?

No.

But then who else was there? I tried to convince myself that it didn't matter; that he would have found somehow, no matter how many people held their tongues for my sake. That _I _would have told him, eventually. But I'd never been good at lying to anyone, least of all myself.

I clutched at my stomach, trying to dislodge the icy stone. But there was no reprieve from this sort of pain, this shock and incoherency. I knew that Sora must hate me; that all of this was my fault, and I couldn't find any way to make it right through all the icy fog.

I rummaged around in my junk drawer until I managed to locate a battered ballpoint pen. Trembling, I lowered the tip to the page, and, beneath Sora's obvious plea for my denial, I penned one word, a word that would surely slice through his flesh like the tip of a knife:

_Yes._

I folded the paper in its original fourths, then dropped it onto my nightstand and backed away, breathing heavily and clutching at my sides. I was afraid of it, in truth. If it sprouted fangs and tried to attack me, I wouldn't be surprised.

But this would be best. Cruel as it was to answer him this way, beating around the bush wouldn't do him any good, either.

When Yuffie returned a few minutes later, I held the message out for her, arm shaking. She frowned and tried to take it from me, but I was trembling so much that she couldn't quite get a hold of it. Finally she scowled and snatched it from me, her entire hand engulfing mine in her efforts to capture the message that I never wanted to send. "What's up with _you_?" she demanded.

But I didn't feel like explaining. I wasn't even sure that I _could_. So I shook my head, staring blankly at a spot on the wall just above her shoulder.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

I continued the mute wagging of my head. She watched me impatiently.

"You want me to take this to Sora?" she demanded.

I nodded, but did not open my mouth.

"Alright." She gave me an appraising look, then spun on her heel and marched out of the room. "You could have just said so," she said irritably.

I _could_ have. But I was such a horrible liar that she would have seen through me at once. She would have seen that I didn't want her to take the message to Sora, would rather burn it to a cinder or tear it into itty bitty, microscopic pieces. And she cared about me enough that she would have let me do it.

And then it hit. The pain. The guilt. I stifled a gasp and slumped to my bed. And as the numbness began to recede in the wake of torrential waves of pain, I curled up in a ball and allowed them to ravage my culpable body and mind.

~o~

I opened my eyes. Dull, grayish light streamed into them, and I blinked rapidly as I eased myself into a sitting position. My head hurt like hell.

Suddenly I heard the sharp, strident sound of crinkling paper. I lifted my elbow to find a sheet of it sitting atop my pale blue sheets, placed strategically where I would find it upon waking. There was a large dent where my bony elbow had dug into it.

As I picked it up, my throat constricted. I brushed at several strands of dark, wayward hair that clung to my sticky, salt-stained cheeks. I knew it was from Sora; it was the same coarse paper as last time, and, though I might have imagined it, his unique scent seemed to cling to its fibrous surface.

I unfolded it very slowly and began to read.

_I guess I knew it was true. Riku wouldn't have said it if it wasn't__—__I just didn't want to believe him. He came to see me the other morning, and we got in a pretty big fight. He told me that he'd kissed you. He told me that you two were pretty much together before I showed up, and that it was my fault and that I didn't deserve you. I guess he was right. He had told me that he was going to try and find you before he left King Mickey and me, but I didn't listen to him. I didn't realize what it meant. But I should have come for you years ago; it's what anyone with half a brain would have done. I mean… I've always cared for you, but I haven't acted like it. Ever. I'm always gone. If you choose him… it's gonna hurt, I'm not gonna lie, but… I guess I understand. Or I'll try to anyway. I'm sorry._

By the time I reached the end of his tightly-woven paragraph, tears were falling like acid rain onto the paper and my own loathsome hands. What had I done? What had I _done_? Sora was in agony, and it was all my fault. Sora. The boy that I loved more than _anything_ and _everything._

What effect would Riku's betrayal have had on him? And what of my betrayal? He was probably in his own world of eternal torment, wandering the dark depths of despair like a lost and lonely traveler…

He _had _to be, because I knew what would have happened to _me_ had the roles been reversed in all this. What if Sora had gone off with _my_ best friend behind _my_ back? The idea was so painful that I had to bite back a sob. What if Sora had cheated on me with someone close to me, someone like _Selphie_?

I read through the letter again. And again. And quite suddenly, white-hot anger flashed through me, flooding over all the guilt and seeping into it until it formed a toxic concoction.

How did he _dare_? How did this boy _dare_ to try and blame any of this on himself? I crumpled his letter in my fist, then grabbed one of my huge, ridiculously lavish pillows, buried my face in it, and screamed. I screamed like a banshee, waiting for some sort of reprieve from my world of guilt and suffering, but the louder and shriller my wails became, the more hopeless the idea seemed… and the more I felt like I deserved what I got.

When my voice was too hoarse for me to continue, I slumped back onto my pillows, sobbing like lost child.

I must have fallen asleep, because some time later I heard Yuffie's voice and felt her firm grip on my shoulder. My head lolled back and forth as she tried to retrieve me from the depths of wherever I was.

"Kairi! Wake up. C'mon."

I screwed my eyes shut. I was better off in unconsciousness…

"Kairi! Stop it! I read the letter. And there's no reason for you to be acting like this."

My eyes sprung open. Her face hung over mine, dark eyes filled with impatience. Her vice-grip on my shoulder loosened a little at the sight of my haggard expression, however. I waited for her to say something else, but she only swallowed convulsively and looked at the floor.

"You read it?" I said slowly. My voice rasped brokenly, only adding, I imagined, to my wasted and battered appearance.

She nodded. "I'm sorry, it's just that… I came in and saw that you'd crumpled it up… so naturally I wondered…"

"Oh," I said listlessly, then turned my face determinedly away from her.

She patted my shoulder, a little tentatively. "Listen, Kairi. I know that you must feel… guilty. More than guilty, actually. Because I know you. I know that your conscience makes up about ninety percent of who you are. And I know that you love Sora. That's why I chewed you out the first time Riku spent the night. Remember?"

I turned and looked at her dully. Then I nodded.

"I was counting on your conscience to straighten you out. I was trying to help you avoid… this," she said, looking down at her hands.

I studied her for a moment. Normally it would have irritated me that Yuffie had used my own emotions to manipulate me, but today I could see the wisdom in it. I could see that she'd only been trying to protect me.

"Thank you," I rasped after a long pause. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Too bad I didn't listen to you," I added as a miserable afterthought.

To my surprise, however, she shook her head. "No, Kairi. I was wrong to do that. I'm… I'm sorry that I did."

I gaped at her, disbelief written clearly across my face.

"See, before Riku showed up… you were dying. I was standing there, watching you die right in front of me. And there was nothing I could do about it."

My eyebrows shot upward. "What?"

"It's true," she said, biting her lip. "When you first came here, you were this vivacious fifteen-year-old, full of spirit, full of such pure, astounding _goodness_ that it was almost inhuman. You were so stubborn, so righteous, so determined to change the world. We—that is, Leon and I—agreed that we had never seen anyone like you before, aside from Sora, of course.

"But then the years went by, and Chancellor Tsukada turned the full force of his control on you. I've never seen anyone put up such a fight. You may seem rather docile on the surface, Kairi, but honestly, watching someone try to put a harness on you is like watching someone try to stop an avalanche. You defied him constantly, always forcing bills through that you thought would do the people good, no matter what the cost. And they love you for that. They always will.

"But then Chancellor Tsukada started to box you in and cut you off. He forced Setzer on you, knowing full well that after he was king, your righteous hatred of your husband would inspire him to pry himself away from you, only to place the reins of power into Chancellor Tsukada's waiting hands. I think that he also knew that this would break your spirit, which is, of course, something he's been chipping at for the last three years.

"Then Riku showed up," she said, then sniffled a little and looked at her hands to avoid my steady, piercing gaze. "He did something to you. He reminded you of who you were. If he hadn't… I don't think Sora would have felt a need to come either, and you probably would have married Setzer. You would have been dragged along until you were broken and beaten; I would have watched you wither and die until there was nothing left of little redheaded Kairi—only a puppet with twisted strings."

A profound silence followed. I continued to gape at Yuffie, but she refused to look up. She scowled a little as a treasonous tear worked its way free of her heavy black eyelashes.

"Sora _was_ wrong," she eventually said, wiping impatiently at her cheek. "He was wrong not to come. You needed him. For such an extraordinary little hero, he's been remarkably insensitive."

"But—" I stammered, "He didn't know. He's the keyblade master. He had to—he had to save the worlds—" I found it odd to be defending him, especially to Yuffie, of all people.

"Maybe. But the point is… well… you _needed_ someone. And Riku came. So that's the consequence that Sora is going to have to deal with."

I stared at her for a long time. "So… you don't think I'm a monster?" I said, a little disbelievingly.

"Nope," she replied, then leaned over to my nightstand, pulled the drawer open, and retrieved a notebook and the same battered pen that I'd used the other day. "Here. You're going to write back to Sora, and you're going to tell him how you feel about Riku, and why. You're also going to tell him how you feel about him, and what matters to you in the end."

I took them, a little hesitantly. "It'll hurt him," I said, my face contorting in agony. "I'm so tired of hurting the people I love…"

"Then don't put him in any more suspense," Yuffie said firmly. Then her expression softened. "Tell him what's in your heart, Kairi. It's what he would want; you know that."

I stared at her for a moment, biting my lip. Finally, my pen found the paper.

_ Sora. Please don't try and blame this on yourself. It's just as much my fault as it is yours. You should have come sooner. But I should have been stronger._

_ I wish you hadn't had to find out like that. I'm sure Riku didn't let you down easily—he's quite bitter about us, you see. I "broke up" with him the other night (for want of a more accurate term) and he was very upset. I should have told you myself, but I was a coward. I don't know if it will help, but I just want you to know that the love I have for you is ten times more powerful than any power in all the worlds._

_ I won't deny that I was in love with Riku. But in spite of all that, you're the one who is like the sun to me. I don't really know how else to describe it. Before you came back, my life was like a long, black night. There were only little points of light, like stars, here and there—Yuffie, Leon, Aerith, Cid. Other than that, everything was black. So can you understand how, when the moon rose, I was momentarily blinded by the light?_

_ But when morning comes, the light of the moon dims. It is pale and almost transparent in an azure sky. When the glory of the sun bursts forth, its light is so bright and warm and good that the night and everything else is forgotten. Suddenly everything makes sense again, and you're not walking in the shadow of confusion anymore._

_ I love the dawn and the blissful day that follows. Please try to forgive me._

Wordlessly, I handed the notebook over to Yuffie. Her eyes roved slowly back and forth over the page. When she had finished reading, she tore the page from its spiral bindings, folded it into fourths, and, with a strangled sob, caught me up in a bone-crushing hug.

"Yuffie!" I gasped, shocked. She was usually so offhand and unemotional.

"Kairi," she choked out, "you should teach a class on how to be amazing."

I sat there for a moment, startled and bemused, then hugged her back and surprised myself by giving a droll little laugh. "You must have missed the part where I was crying and rolling around on the floor. If you hadn't come along, that's what I'd be doing now."

She laughed too, then released me and got to her feet rather abruptly. "I don't doubt it," she said brusquely, smiling teasingly and wiping at her tears as though she was ashamed of them. "Well, I'll take this to Sora, shall I? I think it will release him from his torment," she said in a would-be casual voice.

"Hopefully," I murmured, though still not entirely convinced.

Yuffie headed for the door, pocketing the note on her way out. "Oh, don't worry. The only thing that boy knows is how to love and forgive. It's what makes him so much like you."

"Yuffie?"

"Hmm?" she murmured, turning around.

"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I…" I took the crumpled note from Sora off my pillow and unfurled it thoughtfully. The girl who had crushed it in one fist seemed like a ghost to me now.

She smiled gently. "It was no trouble. I didn't tell you anything you didn't already know."

And she closed the door behind her with a snap.


	10. The Will of the Waves

10

The Will of the Waves

Yuffie was smiling widely when she came into my room the next morning, carrying the usual breakfast tray. All at once the guards stumbled groggily out the door, and I sighed with relief and climbed out of my bed.

"Pancakes today," Yuffie said, setting the tray down.

"Is that all?" I demanded, trying not to sound edgy, and failing epically.

She smiled and cocked her head. "Oops, hang on; I think I forgot the orange juice. I'll be back in a flash."

"Yuffie!" I growled. "You know that's not what I meant."

She giggled and reached in her pocket. "I have it here. But I still forgot the orange juice. I'm going to go and get it, and you'd better be eating when I get back, or else you can't have it."

"Hey!" I said sharply, "You give me that—"

But she was already out the door.

I scowled and started on my breakfast. How did she think I was supposed to eat? I was so nervous that I could hardly sit down. The sticky maple syrup and thick brown pancakes were flavorless on my tongue as I hastily chewed and swallowed them in overlarge bites.

I finished the food, but Yuffie did not come back. I paced the room back and forth and back and forth until I was sure I would probably wear a hole in the carpet. I stacked all my dirty dishes, made my bed, and combed my hair. But still she did not come.

I got angrier and angrier every time I looked at the clock. The morning slid into the afternoon, and even when Yuffie would have usually come to bring me my lunch, she still remained absent.

I began to worry. What if something had happened to her? Maybe she'd slipped and fallen in the kitchen and broken a leg. Maybe Chancellor Tsukada had found her out and thrown her in the dungeon. Maybe she'd been fired. But then someone else would have been sent to bring me lunch, like Rufin or Aerith. She was probably just late.

Or maybe she was playing tonsil hockey with Leon in a closet. I laughed aloud, taking myself by surprise, considering I was in such a vindictive mood.

I slumped to my bed and closed my eyes. I needed sleep desperately. But it wouldn't come, no matter how hard I tried to force it on myself. My eyes kept springing back open involuntarily.

I wanted my letter from Sora. Hadn't I been waiting for it long enough? This really wasn't fair.

Suddenly, the door flew open and hit the wall with a bang. I nearly had a heart attack.

"Sorry, sorry," Yuffie said, slamming it behind her and almost dancing across the room. Her dark eyes were sparkling with excitement and her cheeks were rosy.

I was still recovering as she dumped a pile of sandwiches on my nightstand. Apparently she hadn't bothered with all the china plates that were usually arranged on the trays she brought. "Guess what?" she crowed, bouncing up and down with excitement.

"What?"

"There's a huge mob outside!" She threw an arm out dramatically.

"A mob? Why?"

"The people are really mad that Sora's still in the dungeon," she said matter-of-factly, pouring a glass of lemonade for me to drink. "So they're all standing outside the castle gates yelling threats and stuff. They're even out back, by the postern! It's awesome!"

"Is that why you're so late?" I asked, a little sourly.

"Yep," she answered, unperturbed. "Me and Leon were doing a little damage control. Look out your window, I'll bet you can see them from here."

I stood and went to the biggest window. My room was five stories up and the castle gates were about a half of a mile away, clear down by the Rising Falls, but I could still see a dark mass of bodies through the high, twisting wrought iron. There were guards everywhere, too.

"Why do they care so much?" I wondered aloud. "I mean, it's really nice of them and everything, but..." I shook my head. "It doesn't make sense."

"It's not just for you," Yuffie said. "Although you _are_ the main reason. There's been a steady trickle of Heartless seeping in—the little black creepy crawly kind. We don't know why, but the security system is malfunctioning. You know, the little Claymores that are supposed to throw Heartless into the air? And those Heartless are little terrors, let me tell you... knocking over stands and tipping over garbage cans. Everyone is scared stiff of them—too scared to fight them themselves."

"They need Sora!" I realized. "He's the only one who can get rid of them!"

"Right," she agreed. "And the people know that."

I sighed and put my face in my hands. "Doesn't Chancellor Tsukada know it?"

Yuffie shrugged. "Of course he does. He just won't do anything about it."

"Why can't he just swallow his pride and let Sora go?" I said, clenching my fists. "Can't he see how much the people need a hero right now?"

"He doesn't have the same..." she paused thoughtfully, "the same sense of... right... that you do. You're a little naïve at times, Kairi, but your heart is pure. It's what sets you apart from people like Chancellor Tsukada."

"Well... thanks, Yuffie," I said, touched. Then I frowned. "What do you mean 'naïve'?"

She threw her head back and laughed. "Forget I said anything," she finally managed to say, still chortling. "I'm going back out there. I'm hungry for a little excitement! It gets pretty boring around here."

"Trust me, you have no idea."

"Oh don't worry. You'll be out of here soon enough, if I have anything to say about it."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course. Here comes the great ninja Yuffie! Watch out, everybody! She's gonna take on every guard in the castle single handed."

She grinned at me. "You know it!"

We laughed, and she headed for the door. "Wait!" I said, suddenly remembering. "My letter!"

"Oh yeah." She took it out of her pocket and tossed it to me before leaving.

I frantically unfolded it with clumsy, fumbling fingers.

_Of course I forgive you. You didn't even do anything wrong._

_ I think you've got your little analogy thing is backwards, though—you are my sun. I was the one walking in the dark._

_ But either way—I like the daytime, too._

I smiled widely, smoothed the piece of paper in my hands, and held it close. Sora should have been so terribly furious at me. But he wasn't. And though I deserved his anger, his love felt so wonderful that I wasn't going to complain.

Just the same, something came to my attention. How could he say my analogy was backwards? There was no way he had wanted me as much as I had wanted him—otherwise he could have come to me before. I snatched up my journal and started on a response.

_Okay, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who was walking in the dark. You weren't lost like me—you could have come to me at any time. I still _am_ a little upset with you for not coming sooner. Maybe you didn't want to. That's the only explanation I can think of. I missed you so much. Did you really miss me?_

~o~

Sora's response came early the next morning. Yuffie didn't stay long; she had to join the throng of protesters. For that, I was grateful.

_ Kairi,_

_ You are so ridiculous sometimes. Of course I wanted to find you. But I got caught up in doing what I do, and I figured that you were safe and sound in Destiny Islands, so I didn't bother to try and find you. I was an idiot._

_ And whatever you might think, I missed you a lot. During the day, it was okay, because I was with Donald and Goofy. But at night when I was alone and everything was quiet, you were all I could think about. I used to lay awake for hours, wondering what you were doing at any given moment and whether or not you missed me as much as I missed you._

_ Even though it distracted me, and even though it ticked Riku off (back when we were still with the king) I couldn't help talking and thinking about you. I went over your face, your smile, and your laugh in my mind until they were all I saw and heard when I closed my eyes at night. I remembered the way your skin felt: like silk left in the sun. I remembered the way you kissed me, and the way your arms felt, all wrapped around my neck. Sometimes I wanted you so bad that it hurt._

_ You know the way I feel. You always have._

When I finished reading there were tears running down my face. This was exactly what I'd needed to hear—it was what I'd always dreamt of.

I read the letter through a second and third time. A few things that I'd yet to fully appreciate jumped out at me, and I felt a warm rush of blood to my cheeks. _The way your skin felt... the way you kissed me... the way your arms felt, all wrapped around my neck..._

Wow. This didn't sound like the awkward, blushing boy I'd known so many years ago. Could it really have been Sora who'd penned those words to me? He sounded so… eloquent. So smooth.

I started carefully on my next response, but ended up tearing the paper from the notebook, crinkling it up, and throwing it away, blushing furiously. After a few moments' thought, I decided that being coy with him was better than being entirely honest at this point. After all, that way I had nothing to be embarrassed about, should my attentions be refused.

I addressed him thus:

_Dear Romeo,_

_ Could all this simply be poetry? Poetry meant to make the female heart skip a beat? Shakespeare, even?_

_ Granted, my heart __did__ skip a beat and then stutter to a stop when I read your last letter. In fact, I'm having some trouble restarting it. I only wish that I could feel the hands that touched the page, to know for myself if what you were saying was true._

Once finished, I tore the letter from the notebook, read and re-read it, then grappled with the urge to tear it up and throw it in the trash. Finally I folded it up and stashed it in my music box. Then I flopped down on my bed and waited, fingers drumming, staccato and anxious, to await Yuffie's return.

~o~

Two long, miserable days passed before I got his next letter. Yuffie didn't spend a lot of time with me, so all I could do to entertain myself was pace and think. Time dragged by so slowly that I was sure I was going crazy.

When it arrived at last, it made me swoon.

_Dear Juliet,_

_ You know that I can't lie to save my life. Or write poetry._

_ But one thing I could do if I were given the chance is show you that what I said was true. I can't convince you by telling you so, apparently. But if there ever comes a time when we are together again, I'm going to show you. I'm going to hold you like I've always dreamed of holding you. I'm going to kiss you until _both_ of us are satisfied—and who knows how long that will take! I want every single one of my senses to be filled with you. And when you see it and feel it, you'll know how much I love you._

I held the letter to my frantically pounding heart and tried to catch my breath. I could feel the intensity of the words he'd pounded into the paper. I could almost feel the clutching hands, trying to convey a message that I was still too astonished to believe. And it was meant for _me_. Me!

I wanted him to prove his love for me right that very second. I wanted it more than anything. But the thought that he may never be able to do so made a lump rise in my throat. After all, we were both prisoners of very different and separate jails.

I dashed over to my nightstand and retrieved my notebook and pen.

_Dear Romeo,_

_ Your letters make me feel like I really am Juliet, and you really are my Romeo. I want you more than I want the air I breathe or the food I eat. But it seems like the day will never come. Every minute that passes is a painful one. Every time I put your letters down, it makes my heart hurt and I have to pick them up again, though I have them memorized._

_ What are we going to do?_

~o~

That day passed, if possible, even slower than the last.

The next morning, I awoke with Sora's letters beneath my cheek. The guards were already gone, and I was a little confused. Had I actually slept through the night and into the morning? How unusual.

Yuffie came in with my breakfast tray, the same as always. She was positively bouncing with excitement.

"Where's my letter?" I demanded, extending my palm.

"I don't have one for you today; I haven't even talked to Leon yet," she said quickly.

"Oh," I sighed, letting the hand fall.

She was still glowing. "It's getting pretty crazy out there!" She announced, slamming the tray down and sending a grapefruit rolling. "It's going to happen any day now!"

"What's going to happen?" I asked dully, reaching for the runaway fruit.

"Liberation day!" She cried. "For both you and Sora!"

I stared at her for a moment, uncomprehending. "Huh?"

"Oh don't be stupid. I've told you about the protesters out at the gates," she said impatiently.

"Yeah, but what are they supposed to do about it?" I murmured, bristling a little at her insulting tone.

She beamed again, and even started rocking back and forth on her feet. "What are they going to do? I'll tell you. They're going to storm the castle!"

"What?" I gasped.

"I told you, they're pretty stirred up," she said. "Chancellor Tsukada is in hot water."

I contemplated that for a moment. "But... what are they planning on doing if they get in? Even if they free me, Chancellor Tsukada will just throw me back into my room as soon as the situation is under control again." Then as an afterthought, "I guess Sora could escape, though." I winced at the thought of his absence. Where would he go? Would I ever hear from him again, once I couldn't write to him anymore?

"Maybe we can throw Chancellor Tsukada in the dungeon and see how _he_ likes it," Yuffie suggested.

I smiled a little, then turned my face toward the window and my supposed liberators.

~o~

There was soft, warm sand between my toes. I could feel every grain of it when I wiggled them, even though it was incredibly fine. I looked down and saw that it was just like the white powdery stuff that was on the beach back at home.

And I _was_ home. The palm trees were swaying in a gentle summer breeze, and gulls cried out from somewhere overhead. The sun was warm and gentle on my skin.

I looked out at the brilliant blue waters around me. The sea was only caressing the sand, but a steady roaring sound completely filled my ears, as though the waves were pounding down on the shore. I frowned and tired to find another source of the sound, but there was nothing else on the island. I was completely alone.

The sky was a deep blue, and the air was stirring so gently that I hardly felt it lift the hair on my head. So where was this powerful rushing sound coming from? As I pondered, the roar grew louder. It was the sound of a wild, stormy sea. But the day was so calm!

The roar intensified, and suddenly sharp, staccato notes began to rise and fall with the rushing waves...

No... they weren't waves. They were voices.

With a gasp of sudden realization, I shot up out of my bed. My head spun as the familiar features of my bedroom came into focus.

There was a babble of voices, loud and angry, coming from downstairs. The noise was so loud that it was making the entire building vibrate. The guards, standing faithfully at the end of my bed, were casting worried looks at one another.

"What's going on?" I said sharply, forgetting my resolution not to speak to them.

One of them glanced at me, then said, "We don't know."

I puzzled over this for a moment, and then a smug smile spread across my face. "It's the mob, isn't it?" I said.

They didn't answer.

"They've come for me," I murmured to no one in particular, my voice trembling with sudden excitement. "They've come for Sora and me."

The guards looked at one another worriedly, and I knew that they knew I was right.

I leapt out of my bed and dashed to the closet. I dressed as fast as I could in a simple pair of shorts and a couple tank tops, then headed for the door.

The guards stared at me as I wrenched it open and peeked out into the hallway. Suddenly, one of them snapped out of his stunned silence. "Hey," he said sharply, "what are you doing?"

"Leaving," I said firmly. "See you."

"No!" Both of them leapt forward at the same time, and one of them almost caught my arm.

But I dodged the grasping hand, turned, and sprinted down the hall. I could hear the babble of voices even more clearly from out here. It sounded like they were coming from the entrance hall. There were a couple of more distinct shouts, and then a loud, bloodcurdling scream.

I could hear the pounding footsteps of the guards behind me. I ran even faster down the long hallway until it finally opened up into a large stairway. I was out of breath, and the footsteps were coming louder. I could feel one of the guards right on my tail.

I flew down the steps, counting the stories as I ran. I was almost to the bottom when I felt a wide, rough hand come down on my shoulder. I was wrenched to a stop as a deep, satisfied voice said, "Gotcha!"

I turned and swung a fist at him. It made contact with his outstretched palm, and he laughed and caught it in his hand. I tugged on it, but he only laughed harder at my desperate struggle and held onto me even more tightly. "It's back to your room with you, Your Majesty," he chortled.

Suddenly, the other guard, who was standing behind him, gasped. "What in the world is that?" he shouted, pointing at something on the stairs below us.

I turned my head and saw a terrifying sight—a large, wild-eyed Heartless with folded, leathery wings was loping up the stairs toward us. Its yellow eyes gleamed in anticipation, and its lips curled over its long yellow teeth.

"It's a Heartless!" I shrieked.

"Don't fret, Princess!" The guard who held me said. "We'll fend it off!"

I was able to wrench myself free of his grasp as he reached for his spear. Suddenly, I was worried for them.

"It's no use!" I said sharply. "We have to run! Hurry!"

"No," The other guard said. "It's our duty to defend this castle. You run—hurry! Go to your room and barricade yourself in!"

I wanted to run, but I didn't want to leave them there, either. They didn't know how to fight Heartless. It was a battle they would lose, and even though I didn't like them much, I didn't want them to get hurt. "Please!" I begged them, "run!"

But they merely braced themselves as the monstrous creature bore down on them. It shrieked and slashed at them with its claws.

I ran, but not in the direction they had advised me to go. I continued my journey down the winding marble staircase until I arrived in the grand entrance hall with the high ceiling.

Below me there was absolute chaos. A huge crowd swarmed through the front doors, and Heartless were appearing everywhere. There was screaming, there was shouting. Some were pulling out weapons to defend themselves.

A jet of bright light shot past me and knocked a marble bust off its platform. I heard a yell, and a man with a long blade hit an oncoming Heartless head-on. It roared and snapped at him. Another woman with a bow shot an arrow into it, and with a scream, it fell from the air.

I saw Leon fending off several Shadows with his long, heavy sword, and I saw Yuffie leap eagerly into the fray with one shuriken held high. Even Merlin was in the crowd, his baton flicking left and right so fast it was almost a blur as he shot spells at the oncoming monsters.

But there were too many Heartless; the humans didn't stand a chance. Not unless…

I ran to the railing and leaned over it. "Hurry! To the dungeons! Sora is the only one who can stop them!" I said in a loud, carrying voice.

With a roar, the ones who heard me agreed. I dashed down the stairs and into the thick, bustling, claustrophobic gang that was now rushing for the basement like a raging river. Someone shouted, "The princess is free! We're going to go and rescue the keyblade master!"

The stampede continued down the staircase and roared though the dim, cold corridors. I was running close to the head of the group, and everyone was so caught up in their mission that they didn't even notice me there.

I saw the terrified expressions of the prison guards as we came around the corner. I was glad to see that they were different from the kindhearted ones that had let me see Sora that first night, because the crowd flung them violently to the side. They were hastily searched for keys, but it turned out that they didn't have any. Chancellor Tsukada must have taken them for himself.

I was jostled around quite a bit, but I managed to worm my way over to the jail cell where I knew Sora was. Though I was a little frightened, my face split into a wide grin when I saw his shocked expression from behind the barred window.

"Sora!" I shouted, and the people I was standing next to must have noticed me, because suddenly the bodies which had been restraining me were pushing me forward with a loud, collective cheer. In a brief moment, I found myself pressed against the heavy door. "Sora!" I shouted again over the roar of the crowd.

"Kairi!" He shouted back, and I saw his fingers reaching for mine from between the bars. I grasped them in my own and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"Alright!" I shouted, releasing them and standing back. "Let's get him out!"

"How? How?" Several voices chorused at once.

"Let's rip the door off its hinges!" A man's voice shouted. I looked and saw that it was Leon, his face bright and his sword raised in triumph.

The crowd roared its assent, and I was pushed out of the way as a number of large men grabbed onto the door by its barred window, its knob, and the space beneath it. The people behind them grabbed them around their waists and shoulders, and with the sudden command—"Heave!"—there was a great popping and groaning of tortured wood and hinges.

The men fell backwards as, with a mighty _BANG_, the giant, heavy door broke clear. There was a roar of approval, and the door was passed back over the sea of waving hands.

"Sora!" I shouted and tried to fight my way to his side, but other hands found him first. Leon rumpled his hair and Aerith cheered and patted him on the back. There were hands patting his shoulders, clasping his hands, and congratulating him in any way that they could think of. I gasped as I was nearly crushed against the wall by the surging crowd; everyone wanted to see Sora, to speak to him, to witness his gratitude. Suddenly Yuffie was there, grabbing my wrist and dragging me forward authoritatively, until I felt a warm set of arms around me.

"Kairi," he said softly in my ear. His breath was warm and soft against my neck.

I held him to me as tightly as I could, pressing my face against his. I breathed in deeply; his smell was as sweet and unique as the scent of sand and palm trees after a summer rainstorm.

There was another mighty roar, and for a moment, I was alarmed. Then I realized what it was—applause! There were cheers, whoops, and cries of congratulations. Sora and I both looked up at the many, many exuberant faces that were turned toward us. Our victory was theirs, too.

Then there was another hand on the shoulder that mine were clinging to. "Sora, the Heartless," Leon said loudly, to be heard over the cheering. "You've got to stop them; you're the only one who can."

"Right," Sora said, and raised his arm high. Suddenly with a loud, metallic clang, the keyblade materialized in his fingers. There was another roar as he held it there triumphantly. I looked up at it, too, and then my eyes found his.

"I'm coming with you," I said, just loudly enough for him to hear.

He stared at me for a moment, and his eyes, those wide blue depths, were so filled with love and happiness that I knew he wouldn't say no. He flashed me a bright, wide smile and nodded.


	11. Guts and Glory

11

Guts and Glory

A very daunting sight met our eyes when we arrived in the entrance hall.

There were Heartless everywhere; Heartless screeching and screaming as they ran, hopped, and flapped at anyone who dared defy them. Their numbers were seemingly infinite. I'd never seen so many different varieties of them, either. It was like a battlefield.

I could only stand there, gaping. The air was filled with screeches and cries; broken furnishings littered the floor.

"Come on!" Sora called, rallying the troops and bringing me out of my stupor. We joined the throng, and Sora plunged into the depths of the Heartless with his keyblade extended, a hard glint in his eye that I wasn't sure I'd ever seen before.

For about thirty seconds, I managed to keep close to his side, ducking and leaping whenever necessary. But quite suddenly, a large, hovering black and purple Heartless spun around and struck me across the face; lights popped in front of my eyes. I fell on my back and lay there for a long moment, too stunned to move. The creature swooped down on me, and I could see its evil yellow eyes widen as it lunged for my heart. I gasped and threw an arm over my face to shield myself; it was my only defense at that point.

But just before the beast struck, a warm, tingly sensation spread through my fingers. I clenched them together reflexively, and to my astonishment, there was warm solidity in my grip.

Again? Could it be?

I leapt to my feet and swung the keyblade around. The Heartless suffered a sharp blow across its ugly head; it fell away from me with a moan.

Wide-eyed, I examined the keyblade. It was gold in color and decorated with waves and multi-colored daisies: the exact same model that I'd used in the headquarters of Organization XIII. I could still remember the sense of familiarity that had coursed through me that first time I'd held it in my hands—a feeling that engulfed me once again, as though I was greeting an old friend from some past life of mine, a friend who knew me perhaps even better than I knew myself. A friend who was part of _me._

"Kairi!" Sora slashed a few Heartless out of the way in a desperate attempt to reach me. "Kairi!"

"I'm alright, Sora," I called, raising my keyblade high. His eyes widened with surprise.

I brought down another Heartless with several quick, lethal swipes, and though the keyblade was heavy, my arms did not grow tired. I lost track of the many others who fell under my blows, but as I fought, my determination welled up inside me until I seemed to be gaining energy from the demise of each new foe. Clouds of black darkness encircled the places where they fell, never to rise again.

I looked around and saw people pressing the monsters of the darkness backwards, away from the light. They wore the most glorious expressions on their faces as they fought onward, never pausing to let fear enter their hearts. A deep, glowing pride burned in my chest as my eyes roved over each of them.

And then I saw a spiny, silver creature go sailing overhead—A Nobody! I heard Sora's shout from somewhere within the twisting mass of bodies. He would take care of it, I knew. Time passed as we fought on—and I wasn't sure if it was minutes or hours.

More Nobodies descended, and these were harder to fight than the Heartless had been. But the heroes of Radiant Garden battled on.

A group of white Dusks were pressing in on me, and as I fought, I was forced to back away from them. Suddenly, my back came in contact with something very warm—most unlike the clammy, cool surfaces of the monsters I was battling. I turned my head, and saw that it was Sora's back.

He half-turned too, and grinned at me as we fought onward, back to back. I laughed as I fought, enjoying to thrill of it all, and (mundane though it may have seemed) the sensation of his shoulder blades poking into my back whenever he swung his arms.

Even though we were both slashing, ducking, and stabbing into the throng of creatures that surrounded us, Sora and I soon found ourselves in a crowd so thick that we could feel their clammy, putrid breath on our skins. I looked up at him anxiously, but caught only the manic glint in his eye that proceeded a quick and merciless destruction.

And then quite suddenly, an anticipatory smile spread across his face. He elbowed me to get my attention; I whirled around quite promptly.

"Watch this!" he shouted over all the noise, then bellowed, "_THUNDER_!" pointing his keyblade skyward, and a with a loud _BOOM_, multiple shafts of bright white lightning shot to the floor and eradicated the Heartless around us.

I smiled broadly, flipped my long, dark hair over my shoulders, and faced an oncoming group of Heartless. There was no time to celebrate the little victories; no time to congratulate him. There were always new foes to face. Sora knew that.

I started a little when I felt his hands on my shoulders; he spun me around to face him so abruptly that it took my breath away.

I stared at him, bemused. His eyes were wide and bright with the thrill of the battle; he wore the excited, lopsided grin that I knew and loved so well. The chaos, the shouts, and the screams seemed to fade as he quickly lowered his face to mine. He let his keyblade fall to the floor with a clatter.

He kissed me roughly, hungrily, and his hands quickly found my face, my shoulders, and my neck. I held onto him as tightly as I could and responded just as eagerly, leaning into him and shaping his frantic lips in my own. My tongue brushed his, and his skin was hot against mine as we clung to each other amongst all the wild screams and battle cries around us.

I felt a rush of wind as a winged Heartless bore down on us. Sora released my lips and, without looking away from my face, thrust his keyblade into the air and cried, "_Defense_!"

A bubble of shining, sparkling light surrounded us with a sound like two keyblades clashing together. The winged Heartless clawed against it, but with another clang the bubble not only repelled it, but sent it spiraling backwards with a howl of pain.

With a crooked smile on his bright, flushed face, Sora caught my lips once more. We were really in our own world now, completely separate from the battle that raged on outside our half-sphere of light. I was pressed tightly against his body, my arms wrapped around his neck while my fingers frantically clutched at his face and neck. He held me to him by my shoulders and my waist. His fingers were pounding their way into my flesh, and yet I was still starving and aching to be closer, always closer, to him. I could feel his muscles quivering beneath my rough, desperate touch.

"Sora!" Leon's voice shouted in warning, and I realized with a jolt that the shield had faded and large, spiked Heartless was swinging an arm toward us. Sora immediately leapt and struck, and I barely escaped its surprise attack by falling flat on the ground. I felt a gust of wind lift my hair as its attack missed my head by inches.

I picked up my keyblade and leapt up to help Sora. He was striking the enormous creature in midair, slashing and stabbing at it again and again without falling. I ran at it and struck too, and the warmth of the keyblade in my hand filled me, once again, with the thrill of the battle.

Suddenly the Heartless was swinging at us again, and this time I knew I wasn't going to be able to get out of its way.

Then Sora's arms were around me, and he was running me as fast as he could out of danger's way. He leapt into the air, thrust his keyblade in the monster's direction, and shouted, "_Fire_!" A large ball of hot, bright light shot toward it and engulfed it in one swallow.

We came back to the ground. "Hold onto me!" he shouted, slinging me over his shoulder like a backpack, and I hastily wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.

He ran through the crowd with me on his back, swinging and slashing his keyblade. Clouds of black and purplish darkness filled the air around us. I swung my own keyblade now and then, if any of the enemies came too close from behind.

Suddenly there was a colossal explosion of cold air, filled with fragments of ice. We were blown into the air and toward the staircase. Sora grabbed onto the railing with flailing arms, and I dangled from his shoulders.

He pulled himself onto the railing, then twisted his body around and grabbed me around the waist. I let go of his shoulders, and he pulled me over the railing and onto the stairs. I landed on my side, gasping for breath.

"Sheesh!" he said, laughing and kneeling down beside me. "That was close."

I would have laughed too, and maybe taken a moment to recover, but the sight of his bright, laughing face so close to mine instigated a chemical reaction within my body. Quite suddenly, I flung my arms around him and pulled his lips to mine. He released the railing, surprised, no doubt, but apparently pleased, and cradled my face in his hands. Our lips continued their wild dance as his body compacted mine against the railing. I pulled my hands through his hair and traced his burning skin.

"Sora!" someone was yelling. "Sora, come over here!"

But his lips were too busy to answer. I held his head to mine, as unwilling to release him as he was to release me. I was suddenly aware of every crease and hard fold in his clothing as it pressed into my body, and his every movement between us sent waves of ecstasy over me. I shivered with delight as he pulled me closer. This was all I needed. All I needed for the rest of my life.

"SORA!"

His arms were pulling at the flesh of my back, arms, and waist in his desperate attempt to encompass me as entirely as _I_ wanted to encompass _him_. We were hardly kissing anymore. Rather, my jaw was wrenched open by his, and my tongue slid quickly across his slick, smooth teeth as his trembling fingers danced across my cheek.

Suddenly there was a loud, deep thud and an earsplitting crack. The marble stairs beneath us trembled, but I hardly noticed it. It would take a lot more than that to reach me where I was. Sora's hands were pulling at my smooth, bare legs, and I was shaking so hard that my teeth were almost rattling against his.

The marble beneath us shuddered and began to lean. Some part of me knew that I should move; that there was danger, but my brainstem seemed to have been severed. And my body was in complete control.

"Move it!" somebody was shouting.

With a gasp, I tried to pull myself away from him. But his long, strong arms wouldn't let me budge an inch. And frankly, I didn't have the willpower to contest that.

"Damn it, Sora!" the same voice growled, and Sora's body was yanked away from mine. My eyes sprung open as something caught me by the arm and began to drag me backwards. I noticed, then, that the staircase was crumbling, and the piece that we were sitting on was about to fall to the floor below.

The something that held me dragged me over a thick crevice to safety. I turned and saw Sora stumbling to his feet. He looked just as startled as I was.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!" Cid's voice demanded, and I turned to see the hard-faced blonde man standing behind me. He looked furious. "Can't you see that the whole staircase is gonna fall over?"

Sora and I exchanged shocked glances. Our eyes then raked over the dangerously teetering chunk of marble.

Sora blushed and looked at the stairs beneath his feet, a sheepish grin on his face. "Uh... wow," he said quietly.

"I'll say," Cid barked. "You couldn't have found a worse place to mack it."

Both of us were blushing, now. Sora smiled nervously and placed a hand behind his head.

Cid yanked me to my feet. "Come on, we've got to get off these stairs!" His hold on my arm was painfully tight, though it was nowhere near as tight as Sora's had been.

Sora reached over and grabbed my hand, pulling me out of Cid's grasp; the latter glanced at him, but didn't seem to object.

The three of us ran down the stairs and back into the fray. With a bellow similar to a moose's, Cid lunged at a Nobody. Sora and I were alone again in the chaos.

"Um... sorry," he said, flashing another sheepish grin in my direction.

"Don't be," I said, fighting another unruly urge to reach out and touch him. "It was kind of my fault, actually."

Still watching me, he reached outward with one hand, and the keyblade materialized in his grasp. I did the same, and was startled to see that it worked for me, too.

We were quickly separated, which made me anxious. I was twirling my keyblade and ducking beneath the roaring, hopping, leaping monsters, which seemed to be pouring in from every direction now no matter how many we destroyed.

As I fought, I bumped into a lot of other people, but something caught my attention when I brushed Yuffie's shoulder. She was bleeding out a long gash in her arm, and her teeth were gritted together and her nostrils flaring.

"Yuffie!" I cried, swiping at a Dusk.

"Hey, Kairi!" she called back, imitating the movement. "Some fight, huh?"

"Are you okay?"

She grimaced and sent a Heartless to its doom with her long, sharp shuriken. "Never better."

"Where's Aerith?"

"I don't know. She healed me just a couple minutes ago, though," Yuffie gasped as she took a heavy blow from the Dusk I'd been trying to subdue. I leapt after it and gave it a sharp jab. It disappeared with a sigh and a flash of white light.

"Where are all these things coming from?" I wondered.

"There was a security breach," Yuffie said through her teeth, and I could tell she was hurting somewhere. "And now there's a steady flood, just like the Hallow Bastion days. I don't know how we're going to stop them, but we have to try!"

I spun across the ground and knocked a Shadow Heartless off its feet. "Could we fix the security system?"

"I don't know!" Yuffie wailed. A huge, fat Heartless with wide yellow eyes was galloping toward us.

With a clang of metal, Leon leapt in front of us and blocked the oncoming charge. "Are you alright?" he bellowed above the sound.

I nodded. "Leon, can't we fix the security system?"

"Merlin's working on it," he said quickly, eyeing a group of oncoming Soldiers. "But I don't know if he'll be able to do it."

"How can we help?" I asked, jabbing my keyblade into a Dusk's bony chest.

"By keeping the city safe!" Leon answered. "We can't let any of them get past us. And I think that should be fairly simple, because it looks like they're only coming here—thousands of them!"

"It's because of Sora," I realized. "They're always following him."

"You're probably right," Leon said, slaying three shadows with one blow. I couldn't tell if he resented that fact or not, because at that moment he was suddenly very busy. Heartless swooped down on us, they crawled along the floor beneath our feet, and they charged in from all directions. A deep gash in my forehead was pouring hot, stinging blood into my eye. I did my best to wipe it out and persevere.

I was feeling weak with pain and exhaustion when a high, calm voice said, "_Heal_!" Suddenly a strange tickly sensation swept through me, followed by a surge of relief as all the pain from my many injuries was gone. I reached up to feel the gash on my forehead and was startled to find that it had vanished.

"Thanks, Aerith!" I said as she ran to us through the wild crowd. She gave me a very solemn nod, which I found somewhat unusual. Then she ran off again.

"Where's she going?" I wondered aloud.

"To heal the others," Yuffie answered.

I looked around. With a sickening stab of guilt, I realized that there were fallen warriors everywhere, lying on the cold stone floor as though struck dead. I watched as Aerith healed one, and the grateful teenage boy clambered to his feet and continued the fight. She was healing them all, one by one, as fast as she could.

"Will they be alright?" I moaned, forgetting the glories of battle for a moment.

"They'll be fine," Yuffie answered over all the noise. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Most of them."

I struck a Heartless down, then cried, "What do you mean?"

"The ones who have lost their hearts can't be healed," she explained, rejoining the fight.

That hit home. "Oh no!" I wailed, and tears stung my eyes. "This is all my fault! What have I done?"

"It's _not_ your fault, Kairi," Leon said, appearing once again from the mass of bodies around us. "The breach would have happened anyway. And they would have fought to defend their home, either way. They wouldn't blame you. No one does."

"I've put all of you in danger!" I wailed. "You should have never come here!"

"Don't be stupid," Yuffie snapped mid-attack.

But tears ran down my face as I fought onward. My heartache turned to anger as I turned to the creatures that had taken so much from my good people. And my anger drove me onward, fiercer and stronger than before.

I had never thought of myself as much of a warrior. I was delicate, fair skinned, and petit—and always had been. So the thrill of battle and the strength that I felt coursing through my limbs still felt fresh, though the fight had been raging now for a long time now and many Heartless had already fallen under my blows. Each one that faded in a cloud of darkness was a victory that I had never imagined myself able to win.

As I was fending off a large round Heartless with yellow eyes and three long, distorted limbs, I noticed something in my peripheral vision that made me do a double-take. It was a lone figure, shrouded in black, slinking through the crowd and seemingly indifferent to the surrounding chaos.

As I stood there, staring, the Heartless caught me in the back of the head with one limb. I saw stars for a couple seconds and felt cold stone beneath my palms. When everything stopped spinning, I realized that I was kneeling on the floor and the enormous black monster was leering down at me. I gasped as it lunged.

Suddenly, there was a clang and a flash of steel, and the creature was sent sprawling.

"Riku!" I cried as the tall, wispy-haired figure turned around to face me. His eyes were bright and intense.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded heatedly.

I gave him a confused look. "Um... I _live_ here, remember?"

"No, I mean what are you doing _here_?" he said sharply, gesturing to the mayhem all around us.

Oh. So _that_ was the card he wanted to play. "Defending my people," I said, raising my chin defiantly. He'd have to be insane to think that I was going to leave the fray now.

He rolled his eyes and groaned. "What is _wrong_ with him? He must be an even bigger idiot than I thought."

"No," I said sharply. "This is my fight too. I'm not a little kid."

"Oh yeah?" Riku growled, whirling around and slashing a couple of Dusks out of the way. "You nearly got creamed a couple seconds ago."

"So what?" I said, a little offended. I jumped to my feet and swung at a Heartless. "So what if I get hurt? Others have already fallen. It's still my fight."

Riku gritted his teeth and battled on, taking his irritation toward Sora and I out on his enemies. "I asked him to take care of you," he snapped.

I was suddenly overwhelmed with a certain sense of déjà vu, but didn't know where it came from.

"Yeah… I know you did…" I said slowly.

He looked surprised. "How would you know that? You weren't there."

"I have no idea," I answered honestly, biting my lip.

Riku raised an eyebrow at me, obviously as confused as I was. "Well, he isn't doing it," he finished after a moment, turning away. "He isn't taking care of you."

I chose not to answer that, because we happened to have conflicting opinions on the subject. Instead I asked, "What are _you_ doing here, Riku?"

He leapt in front of me to shield me from an oncoming attack. With a clang, he blocked a pulsating ball of light with his keyblade, and it shot back toward the Heartless it had come from. The monster shrieked and disappeared in a cloud of darkness.

"I came back because..." he glanced at me, then looked away. "Because I thought you might be in trouble."

"Why?" I wondered, trying to catch his eye.

"I heard that someone was planning something dark in Radiant Garden," he said, finally looking at me. "Something big."

"Who was it?" I asked, eagerly.

"I don't know," he murmured. "But I couldn't just... ignore it. I had to make sure you were... safe."

I paused to watch him. His expression was generally difficult to read, but now the pain was close to the surface. It was odd to see on such a beautiful, usually glass-smooth face.

We fought onward for a while, but I didn't stray far from him. I thought about what a great sacrifice it must have been for him to come here. How it must have hurt his pride. Just to protect Sora and I. Because we still meant so much to him, even though we'd hurt him.

I walked calmly through the fray over to the place where Riku stood, tensed and ready for his next challenger. Tenderly, I placed a hand on his back. He flinched and whirled around to face me, his eyes wild until they met mine.

"Don't do that," he said, his eyebrows pulling together. "I could have killed you."

"Sorry," I said hastily, "I just wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

I shrugged and smiled softly. "For coming back. For caring."

He looked at me for a long time. "I'll always care," he said softly. Then, "I wanted to be mad at you, you know. But I couldn't do it."

"You should have been," I agreed with a laugh. "I deserved it."

"Yeah. You did."

Both of us chuckled and fought on, side by side. Suddenly, I caught another glimpse of the black-clad figure, ducking and racing through the crowd. It was heading for the staircase, now.

"Riku, look at that!" I said sharply, pointing.

His quick eyes caught sight of the figure immediately. "Who is it?" he wondered.

"I don't know. Organization XIII?"

"No. They're toast, remember? Plus it's not even the same robe," he said, eyes narrowing. "And I would know. I'm going to follow him."

His keyblade disappeared in a flash of light. With a single lithe bound, he was off.

"Me too," I said, following his quick steps in the direction of the mysterious figure.

Quite suddenly, Riku turned around and put his hands on my shoulders. "No," he said sharply.

I grabbed his hands and pulled them off of me. "Yes," I said firmly.

"Kairi," he growled, "I don't have time for this! Just stay next to Leon and the others where you'll be safe. I've got to catch this guy before he gets away."

"No!" I said, tossing my head angrily. "You don't have to do everything alone, Riku!"

He glared at me. "Yes I do. Now stay here."

He turned around and dashed after the black figure. I stood there for a moment, debating. I knew that he only wanted me to be safe, but this really _was_ my fight. I wanted to do what I could. Why didn't Riku have any faith in me?

As soon as he was far enough away that he wouldn't see me, I trotted off after him.

The staircase was collapsing, and huge chunks of stone were scattered all over the floor below. People and Heartless alike were slipping and sliding on the crumbly, clattering pieces. I slipped and slid a little before I reached the bottom steps, which were badly scarred and cracked.

I could see Riku nearing the top, leaping over areas where steps were missing or heavy cracks were forming. He was in such a hurry that I doubted he would notice me. I ran up the stairs as fast as I dared, being careful not to fall through where the marble had been blasted away. I had to hurry, or else I would lose sight of him.

"Kairi!" Someone screamed from below. Yuffie.

I whirled around. A giant, winged Heartless was sailing toward me, its jaws open wide enough to swallow me whole. I raised my keyblade to defend myself, but as I struck, the monster caught me around the middle and pulled me into the air. I gasped as the sharp ends of its talons poked my skin. The staircase disappeared beneath me in a whirl of color as we soared through the air.

I swiped at it with my keyblade, but could only reach the spindly claw that held me. The monster screeched and cawed as I whacked at its leg, but its grip never loosened.

Suddenly I heard a loud cry from below, "_Gather_!"

And then there was swirling light all around us, and we were pulled toward the ground and then spun around in circles, as though we were inside a slow-moving tornado. Everything was a whirl of color and sound. The Heartless, obviously startled, released me and flapped frantically at the unseen force.

A pair of wide, strong hands caught me around the middle and yanked me down. Suddenly the spinning was gone, and I was looking up at Sora's face. His eyes were wide with anxiety.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, rather numbly. "Um... yeah... what just happened?"

"Sorry about that," he said quickly. "I had to use a spell to get you down, or else that Heartless would have carried you off."

I kept nodding. "It's okay, I'm fine."

It was then that I realized that he was holding me, that one of his arms was under my knees and the other supporting my back. I reached up and stroked his cheek wonderingly, and his eyes closed halfway like a contented kitten's. He leaned forward and kissed me tenderly. I shivered with delight as his calloused, battle-worn fingers began an only moderately hesitant journey across my bare thighs, to the hems of my shorts.

Suddenly there was an explosion of soft, sparkling light, and Merlin appeared about three feet away from us.

"Good gracious!" he said, noticing Sora's hold on me. "Put the princess down this instant, young man! We have some work to do!"

Sora blushed and set me on my feet.

Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith came running over. "Merlin!" Leon said. "Did you have any luck?"

"Yes, yes, I've managed to seal things off quite nicely," Merlin said excitedly, tapping his wand against his hand. A shower of red and green sparks fell from it.

"Really?" Yuffie cried.

"Yes. Now all we have to do is clean these up, before they do any more damage," Merlin said, gesturing to the surrounding mayhem.

Leon was smiling widely. "That, we can do!" he said eagerly.

"Wait," Sora said sharply, "There has to be more to it than that. We have to stop whoever let these Heartless in."

"I saw—" I began, but Leon cut me short.

"Nobody let them in. There was a breach."

"Are you sure?" Sora asked shrewdly.

Merlin gaped at him as though he'd never considered such a thing. "Fairly sure, my boy. I don't believe anyone did it intentionally."

I tried to muscle my way in. "But I saw—"

"Come on, let's finish this!" Leon said, whirling around and raising his sword. The others spun and ran too, before I could say another word.

"C'mon, Kairi," Sora said, grabbing my hand. "We can take these guys, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but Sora, Riku's here and—"

"Riku?" he gaped at me. "I thought Riku left."

"He did, but he came back because he said he heard someone was planning something dark in Radiant Garden!" It all tumbled out in a rush.

There was a giant crash and bits of marble tile went flying. Sora shielded me from the worst of the shards.

"Let's take care of this first," he said, and his eyes narrowed as he whirled around to meet another Heartless.

We fought on, though the people were exhausted and there was wreckage and ruin everywhere. Though my muscles ached, Heartless after Heartless continued to fall beneath my blows. Sora and I fought side by side, and I made sure it stayed that way. I didn't want to be separated from him again.

Before long, I noticed that the sea of monsters was beginning to recede. Each cloud of darkness drove them further and further back. More and more human heads were visible in the crowd.

It was getting difficult to see after a while. I wondered if something was wrong with my vision, until I looked at one of the large glass windows in the entryway and saw that the sun had set and night was approaching. Had the battle really lasted an entire day?

Finally, the last of the Heartless were cornered. They glared at us, unafraid and uncaring of their fate, and we glared back at them even more fiercely. We slaughtered them, quickly and unceremoniously.

A high, wild cheer rent the air, and then everyone was cheering and leaping up and down. Weapons were thrown to the ground. Victory was ours!

I cheered too, and Yuffie ran and shook my shoulders joyfully. We grasped each other's hands and danced around in a circle, laughing and shouting. Aerith leapt up and down and clapped her hands together. Cid grabbed Merlin's hand and shook it roughly, saying all the while, "Yeh did it, yeh crazy old lunatic!"

"We _all_ did it!" Aerith cheered.

Leon stood there with his arms folded and trying not to look too excited. Yuffie released me, ran over to him, and gave him an enormous bear-hug. He looked so startled that everyone laughed.

Suddenly Sora's arms were around me. I looked up at his face, and his wide blue eyes were so warm, so beautiful that I could have just stood there and stared into them forever. He seemed to be glowing.

And in that moment I didn't care that we weren't alone. I didn't care that Leon, Yuffie, Cid, Aerith, and Merlin were watching us. All that mattered was that he was here with me, that his arms were wrapped tenderly around me, that his eyes held mine like an anchor. My hands found his face, and he kissed me tenderly, yet joyfully.

"Hurray!" Yuffie cheered loudly, and we broke apart, smiling. "Hurray for Sora and Kairi!"


	12. An Ode to Corridors

12

An Ode to Corridors

The news of the great battle spread far and fast. By the time Sora, Yuffie, Cid, Leon, Aerith, and I had sauntered across the castle courtyard and through the front gates, a huge impromptu celebration had already begun in the streets.

People danced and cheered and released hundreds of balloons into the starry sky. Children ran through the milling crowds, reliving the battle themselves with toy swords and costumes. Lights were being strung throughout the city, and on every corner there were people feasting and talking about the amazing battle of the castle, in which many of them had taken part of themselves.

And the best part was that I actually got to see it. The six of us wandered along for several blocks, ogling over this or that until we stumbled upon some carnival booths that had been set up in the gardens.

Leon and Cid were soon completely immersed in a highly competitive round of laser-tag. Yuffie bought ten large helium balloons and tied them to her arms, then giggled wildly as she tried to walk along and hold her arms to her sides—with little success.

Sora and I decided that we'd like to see the gardens on the other side of Borough, which we'd heard an old woman talking about earlier. Apparently they'd been decorated with thousands of icicle lights, and in a matter of minutes someone was going to flip the switch and turn them on.

So we set off together, hand in hand. But we soon found out that getting anywhere was going to be a real problem. People were so desperate to shake our hands and compliment us on how bravely we'd fought and how grateful each and every one of them were that they converged on us at every turn. I tried to thank them in return whenever I had a chance, but there were far too many of them to thank individually, and the rumble of so many voices tended to drown mine out, anyway.

After a while we were able to escape to the square with Yuffie and Leon. The crowd was thick there, but everyone was dancing. Some rock music was coming from the very same stage that Sora and Riku had punched Setzer. People were cheering, stomping, and clapping their hands.

"What's all this?" I laughed, stumbling to a stop as soon as I caught sight of all the commotion.

"A dance, duh!" Yuffie said, untying the balloons from her arms and letting them go into the night.

"Who's playing?" I wondered, standing on tip-toe to try and get a glance at the stage.

Yuffie shrugged. "I dunno, but they're sounding great!"

"Let's get out of here before we get mobbed again," Sora said, looking around anxiously.

"Aw, you're no fun," Yuffie said. She giggled, dashed over to Leon, and grabbed his hands. "Let's dance, Squall!"

"No way; I don't dance," Leon said irritably. "And how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

Sora and I laughed as Yuffie dragged him into the crowd, steering him along with a firm hand. He looked scandalized.

The song ended, and the crowd cheered so loudly that I thought my eardrums might burst. Then a new song started up. A slow and steady beat sent single dancers edging nervously toward their partners. I caught sight of Leon, who was wearing a startled look on his face and cradling Yuffie's relaxed form against his chest.

I looked up at Sora from beneath my eyelashes. "Should we?"

He half-smiled at me, then looked at the ground. "I... I can't dance."

I giggled. "You can't or you've never tried?"

"Um... both."

I took his hands in mine. The gloves he wore were thick and hard against my palms, but his bare fingertips rested easily on my small, pale, delicate ones. It felt so wonderful. I looked up at his face, and was surprised to see the same marveling expression that I was certain was on mine.

"Here," I said, taking one of his hands and placing it on my waist. Then I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Well… I like it so far," he said softly. His thumb did laps on the back of my hand.

I leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Me too," I breathed into his ear.

We danced, slowly and steadily. After a while, I moved my hands to his shoulders, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. We moved in a steady circle, content to touch, breathe, and savor the moment. There were no words for this kind of satisfaction.

I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest.

And then I was in my moonlit bedroom, my head resting on a different chest entirely, while long silvery hair whispered against my cheek and wide, strong hands cradled me against a tall, muscular body.

The other half of my heart ached. I stiffened, a lump rising in my throat. What was _wrong_ with me? I was beginning to wonder if I was seriously messed up.

The flashback faded as I opened my eyes. Sora had stopped dancing. He pulled me away from him to look into my eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.

I shook my head, but my eyes were burning. I wouldn't let myself cry. I _wouldn't_. Not here, not now, not in front of Sora…

"I was just…" I gave him a weak smile. "Just thinking about… Riku. And wondering if he's okay."

Sora sighed and hugged me. "It's like I told you, he'll be fine," he said in a gentle, pacifying voice. "Riku's tough. He's a beast. He can handle anything."

I giggled. "Yeah…"

He kissed my cheek, and I caught the sweet scent of his skin as it brushed across my nose. He was so good to me. I promised myself I wouldn't mention Riku to him again.

We circled with the slowly revolving crowd. Once in a while someone would look up at us and point, but I hardly noticed them anymore. How could I, when I was holding pure perfection in my arms? It would probably kill me to look away from him now.

His eyes were so gentle, so perfect in their oceanic blue. His smile was gentle and beautiful as always. His head was slightly inclined toward me, and I couldn't help but notice that he didn't look away from me the entire time we danced.

Then, ironically enough, Leon interrupted us. I felt like I was defying gravity when I tore my eyes away from Sora's face. But Leon had shaken my shoulder and said my name three times, so I couldn't just ignore him. Sora laughed when I gave my head a feisty toss and finally whirled around.

"What?" I demanded.

"Have you seen Yuffie anywhere?" Leon asked, anxiously scanning the crowd as he spoke.

"I thought you were dancing with her," I said, not really interested.

"I was, but then she said she had to leave." He shook his head. "I thought she might be with you, but it looks like she just vanished."

"Maybe you could dance with Aerith," Sora suggested, smirking.

Leon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Cloud would kill me for even thinking about it."

"Hiya gang!" Yuffie said brightly, appearing out of nowhere.

"What was that all about?" Leon asked in his low, nasally voice.

"The royal advisors wanted me to contact the princess and give her a message," she explained, turning to me. "They've scheduled a press conference in about fifteen minutes, in the square. You've gotta be there."

Was it just me, or did she actually seem excited about it?

"What?" I said, raising my eyebrows. "Why me?"

"Well, not just you. Sora, Leon, Aerith, Cid, and yours truly are supposed to be there, too." She grinned broadly and jerked a thumb at herself.

"Ugh," I groaned, slumping over.

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Re-_lax_. They probably just want a recap of the battle."

Sora put his hands on my shoulders for a moment, then surprised me by wrapping me up in his arms and cradling me against his chest in front of everyone. "It'll be okay," he said. "If you can fight an army of Heartless and Nobodies all day, this is nothing, right?"

I laughed. "I guess so." The sound of his heart beneath my ear, beating in sync with mine, made my stomach tickle as though it were full of beating wings.

~o~

The mass of humanity that descended us was positively suffocating, cutting off our chances of escape quite effectively. And it wasn't just the press, either. It looked like half the city had dropped what they were doing to come and hear whatever it was that they thought we had to say.

As the reporters stood there, waiting for permission from the guards to start asking questions, Sora watched me with eyebrows raised. He was used to publicity, but not _this _much publicity. The look on his face was almost pleading. I laughed aloud and gave him a helpless smile.

"Princess Kairi! Princess Kairi!" a little girl with pigtails squealed, her high-pitched voice easily discernable from the dull hum of adult voices, "can we see your keyblade?"

She was so cute that I couldn't help smiling back at her, even though I was less than certain about her request. I shot Sora a questioning look. Would I be able to summon the keyblade just because I felt like it? Or did I have to have a genuine need for it?

"Try it," Sora suggested. He extended an arm out in front of him and curled his fingers around an imaginary handle. With a clang and a flash of light, the Oathkeeper appeared.

After a moment's hesitation, I followed suit. For a couple seconds I just stood there, feeling stupid.

"Um…" I said, lowering my arm, "I guess not. Sorry." I gave the little girl an apologetic look and a shrug.

Sora flashed his bright white teeth at me, then looked down, still snickering. There was an outbreak of bantering laughter from Yuffie, Cid, and the vast body of people surrounding us.

"Hey," I said, frowning at Sora and everyone else, "don't laugh! We can't all be keyblade masters!"

"You didn't really even try," Sora scoffed, reaching down and catching my hands in his own. When he tried to pull my arms back out, I scowled and clenched them to my sides.

"No!" I said stubbornly. "I can't!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Stop telling yourself that. You've done it before, and you can do it again. You gotta believe that, Kairi."

I raised an eyebrow at him. He was so corny. Did he really think that just because I _believed _that I could make something happen, that it actually would?

Then again, _I_ probably would have rattled off that exact same line myself, once upon a time. And I would've had absolute faith in it, too.

"C'mon," he said, still smiling lopsidedly at me.

I heaved an exasperated sigh, only too aware of the thousands of sets of eyes that were resting expectantly on my scrawny, unremarkable body. "I'm gonna look like a moron," I said quietly, so that only Sora would hear me.

"We'll see."

Once again, I held my arm out in front of me, fingers groping the air for the comfortable, familiar handle. A long, awkward moment passed. I looked up at Sora, eyebrows raised in an "I told you so" sort of way.

But then my palm began to tingle, and my bangs were blown back away from my face in the sudden rush of air that accompanied the appearance of my splendid weapon.

I looked up, startled. Then a smile spread across my face like warm sunshine. Everyone in the vicinity applauded loudly.

As I stood there, trying to control the sudden flood of heat that went rushing to my face, I was suddenly distracted by a flash of silvery hair in my peripheral vision.

But as soon as it had appeared, it was gone. I twisted my body around, craned my neck, and hastily searched the crowd until—

My eyes came to rest on a small boy of six or seven. Wispy, ice-white sheaves fell into his eyes, which were a warm, rich brown. As I watched him, feeling a little deflated, a woman caught his grubby little hand in her own and began to tow him toward the outskirts of the crowd.

My shoulders sagged with disappointment. Where was Riku? What if something terrible had happened to him while he was trying to catch the man in black?

I was staring off into space as Sora was shaking an elderly gentleman's hand. He turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

I started a little and looked at him. "Um, I was just wondering where Riku is. He went after this guy in black during the battle... they went upstairs..."

"The whole castle was searched," Sora said, his eyebrows pulling together. "Remember? There was nobody else there."

"I know," I said, smiling and shaking someone else's hand. "That's what worries me. Where could he have gone?"

"Well..." Sora said slowly, nodding and smiling politely at the crowd, "Riku can take care of himself."

I frowned. "Well, sure he _can_, but he shouldn't have to. Not all the time."

Sora shrugged.

~o~

Yuffie was probably one of my favorite people in the whole world.

It's true. She was not only my caretaker, but one of my closest friends, always listening to my moaning and moping and doing her best to cheer me up when I was sad. Her smile was infectious, too, her demeanor steadfastly buoyant and bright. She was a pleasure to be around.

But she did have a couple of tiny, irritating little flaws. She was _bossy_. And she loved attention, no matter what she said to try and negate that fact.

So I was getting close to hitting her as she flaunted us around the city, taking us first to a cute but crowded Italian restaurant on Main Street, then to the park, and then to her favorite hair salon, just so she could show us off to her stylist. We spent what felt like forever talking in front of different groups of people, posing for pictures, and telling our story countless times. And after four or five hours had passed, I'd just about had enough.

Not that I hated publicity, per se. I was fairly used to it, after all. And as for being outside of the castle, the first couple hours had been wonderful. It was just that, well… I was with Sora. Finally. I could feel the pulse beating in his warm wrist as it rested against mine. I could still taste him on my lips, and whenever he looked at me with those godly, ethereal eyes, all I wanted to do was drag him into a broom closet so that I could have him all to myself for once.

It didn't seem like so much to ask for, really. But nobody else seemed to share my view on that particular issue.

"Okay, now we're going to run over to Market Plaza for a minute," Yuffie was saying, pulling me by the arm across the street and away from a gaggle of small boys who were beginning to converge around Sora. "Markus agree to meet us there; he's going to take some professional pictures of you and Sora together. Speaking of Sora, he could use some touching up before we get there. Do you have a comb or anything for your hair, Sora? Maybe we could dip in water or —" she stopped abruptly, whirled around, and snapped, "hey, Sora, get over here! I'm not talking just to hear my own voice, you know!"

From the other end of the crosswalk, Sora rolled his eyes, finished signing and returning a brown-haired boy's scrap of paper, then strolled casually across the street to meet us, muttering something that sounded extraordinarily like, "You could have fooled me," all the while. Yuffie scowled and tapped her foot on the cobblestoned sidewalk impatiently.

I knew that she was enjoying herself, though, however edgy she may have seemed. Having helped plan and instigate the rebellion, she couldn't help basking in the aftermath of our victory.

As Yuffie began interrogating Aerith on whether or not she'd bought the right pair of earrings for me to wear in my upcoming photo shoot, Sora caught my eye and heaved a gigantic sigh.

I giggled quietly, then put a finger to my lips. If Yuffie heard him complaining, she was sure to turn around and take a snap at him.

The idea of it didn't seem to worry Sora, however. "This sucks," he murmured.

I smiled and shook my head at his harsh, yet undeniably accurate take on the situation. "Well, if anyone _should_ have to stick around, it's us," I murmured, shrugging. "We _are_ pretty fundamental characters in all this, I guess."

"Yeah, well… sometimes I wish we weren't."

My eyes met his, our cerulean connection brimming with mutual understanding.

"Me too," I whispered, lips pulling down at the corners. What I wouldn't give to be able to leave with him now—to escape all the obligations and notoriety! What I wouldn't give to be _Kairi_ again—just Kairi, the little redheaded thing who walked along the beach, picking up shells. I wanted to be with the people I loved, unbothered by all of the complications and drama that I faced now.

A tear fell; I caught it on my palm and wiped it on my shorts. But Sora had already seen it. He pulled me quietly to a stop, and the rest of the group proceeded on without us, caught up in their own affairs.

"You okay?" he asked, reaching up to brush at my glistening cheek.

I nodded, irritated at myself. "I don't know why I'm so emotional these days…" I muttered.

Sora shook his head. "I do," he said, laughing humorlessly.

I tried to laugh too, but it came out as a sob. He took me gently in his arms, rested his chin on the top of my head, and traced circles on my back with his soft, soothing fingertips. "Shhh," he said tenderly as more sobs racked my body. "It'll be okay."

I continued to cry, my mind burdened with wonderings of Riku's whereabouts, and also the future that awaited Sora and I in this world full of people who needed our guidance—the guidance, ironically enough, of a couple of teenagers that wanted nothing more than to go to school together, hold hands, and live normal lives.

"C'mon," Sora said in response to my continued silence. "At least we can be together now. That's something."

I nodded. Suddenly an idea occurred to me, and I glanced up at him, eyes narrowing. "I hope you don't have any other plans," I said threateningly.

He snorted. "Aw, c'mon. You really think I'd run out on you just like that?"

I sighed and rested my head on his chest again. "To be perfectly honest, Sora, it wouldn't surprise me."

Quite abruptly, he pulled away from me and craned his neck so that we were at eye-level. His mouth pressed itself into a thin, angry line, and his eyes snapped and crackled with intensity. "Why?" he demanded.

"You've done it before."

Scowling, he put his hands behind his head, clenched his jaw, and stared off into the distance. After a long moment, he said, "I said I was sorry."

I shrugged. "I know. And I forgave you. But I still don't have any reason to think that you won't do it again. After all, it's not like you really filled me in on what's been going on for the last three years."

His scowl became more pronounced. "You didn't ask," he reminded me sourly.

"I know," I said, linking my hands together behind my back. I sighed and looked across the street, where people were walking along the sidewalk, talking and laughing. "It just seems like… well, we used to be able to talk more easily. Before. But now… you don't tell me anything."

Sora sighed, his anger seeming to evaporate on the spot. He walked over to me and took my hands in his own. "Well, what about you? _You_ didn't used to always pick fights. I mean, you were feisty, all right, but I think I could talk to you for hours on end and the subject of my inadequacies never even came up. My gosh, what a concept!"

I gave him a wry smile. "Don't change the subject."

He chuckled a little, then looked around until he located a lone park bench. Hand in hand, we wandered over to it and sat down. For what seemed like a very long time, we just sat there, silent and brooding.

Finally, he spoke. "What do you want, Kairi?" he asked abruptly.

I looked up at him, startled. "What?"

"What do you _want_?" he asked, staring expectantly into my eyes.

I waited for him to elaborate, intrigued his question and expression. When he didn't, I murmured, "Well… I want to be with you."

"Aright then," he said, examining our fingers, which were intertwined and resting on his knee. Finally he looked up, eyes soft and round. "When I _do_ have to leave again, you'll come with me. I'm sure the king will agree that you've gotten strong enough. We can unite the worlds together, just you and me."

"'Unite the worlds'?" I repeated, eyes widening dramatically, "Is _that_ what you've been doing?"

He looked at me for a moment, smiling at my distraction, then sighed and placed a hand behind his head. "Um… yeah. Kind of."

"Uniting the…" I trailed off, amazed. "What does that mean, anyway? How do you unite the _worlds_?"

"Hmm." He put his elbow on the end of his knee, then rested his cheek on his hand. "I'm not sure… where to start, exactly."

I stared at him, curiosity gaining intensity with every moment that his eyes searched the horizon and his fingertips drummed thoughtfully against his chin.

"Well, start at the beginning," I finally said, a little more demandingly than was really necessary.

He laughed. "Guess that makes sense. Let's see… well, right after Riku and I met up with the king, he told us about this… idea that he had."

"Where'd you meet him?" I asked, hungry for detail.

"At Disney castle. He'd been studying some of Ansem's reports… or Xehanort's reports, anyway. And he was curious about… well…" he paused, still gazing off into the distance as though he were unsure of how to explain. Then he looked up at me again, eyes bright.

"You know how there's a legend that says that all the worlds used to be unified by the light in people's hearts? Like, it was just one big world?"

I nodded. It sounded familiar.

"Well, this world was a great place. Everybody loved it. But then they started fighting over the light, and darkness entered their hearts. It spread all over and pretty much destroyed the world.

"There were a few fragments of light left though, and they spread out and became all the worlds that we have today. They were sealed off from one another. Even Heartless couldn't travel between them unless they were summoned.

"But then something happened, and dark pathways were formed between the worlds. You know what Corridors of Darkness are, right? The Heartless and Nobodies use them. Riku used to be able to use them, too."

I nodded again. "Like those dark portal things?"

"Yeah. Anyway, the king had this theory. He thought that, since Corridors of Darkness are like veins connecting the Ream of Darkness to the rest of the worlds, then there must be Corridors of Light, too. Because it makes sense that the worlds would have forged a connection with Kingdom Hearts, since Kingdom Hearts is the heart of them all, and therefore their source of light."

I gaped at him. "Wait. Corridors… of Light?"

"Yeah. Pathways made by pure light."

"Do they exist?" I babbled, awestruck. The idea seemed so fantastical.

Sora smiled, a little wryly. "Um… well… yeah, they exist. The real question is whether or not they exist in working order."

I blinked a couple times, then snorted with laughter. "What, do they need to be repainted? Did the light bulbs burn out?"

Sora shook his head ruefully. "They've never been used by humans, Kairi. It's almost like they need to be completely re-forged in order for us to pass through them."

"So…" I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "Have _you_ ever used them?"

He brightened visibly. "Yeah. I have. And I guess that brings us full circle."

"What do you mean?"

"That's what we've been doing so far," Sora said, shrugging one shoulder. "Me and Riku and the king. Opening the Corridors of Light."

"Really?" I gasped, eyes wide. And quite suddenly, I leapt to my feet, grabbed his hand, and dragged him off in a southerly direction.

"Ow," he complained, stumbling along behind me. "Where are we going?"

"Away from all the people," I said, rounding a corner and proceeding into a long, narrow alleyway. "You can't show them. But you've got to show me!"

"Show you what?" he asked, bemused.

"The corridors!" I said impatiently, casting a quick glance at him. "If we can travel to a new world, any world we want, then…" the possibilities unfolded themselves before me, infinite and fantastic. "You could do whatever you had to do to unify the worlds or whatever, and I could go with you. But I then could come back here whenever I needed to and fulfill my responsibilities as Princess!"

There was a sudden tug on my arm. I lurched to a stop, then whirled around, eyes wide, to find Sora shaking his head sympathetically and holding me where I was. "That's the problem, Kairi. We can't go to any world we want. Not yet."

I stared at him for a long moment, frustration welling up inside me. "Why not?"

"Because the pathways aren't all open."

I blinked. "Oh."

"I had to fly here by gummi ship. I couldn't forge a pathway no matter how hard I tried. This place has always been shrouded in darkness, see… I think Riku got through, though…" his eyebrows pulled together thoughtfully. "Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Why?"

"Um…" Sora looked at me appraisingly, as though he were wondering, again, where to begin. "Well… Riku isn't exactly a pro when it comes to opening up the Corridors of Light."

"But…" I pursed my lips, confused. "Riku _belongs_ in the Realm of Light now. He should be able to move about in it just as well as the rest of us."

"In theory," Sora agreed, nodding. "But, well, he told me something once, and I think it might apply in this same situation. He said that, in order to use the Corridors of Darkness, one has to wholeheartedly accept the darkness inside them and put it to use. One has to _submerge_ oneself in it."

I shivered at the very thought.

"I think that the same sort of rules apply when it comes to using the Corridors of Light. Riku has forsaken the darkness in his heart. We all saw that. But I don't think that he's fully accepted the light, either. So he's kind of in between right now, I guess. He can't use the Corridors of Light very well, and he can't use the Corridors of Darkness at all."

My shoulders sagged. "Poor Riku," I murmured. He was trying so hard to join the Realm of Light. But would he ever feel like he truly belonged in it? It was in his nature to be hard on himself. I could still remember, back in the World That Never Was, the way he'd said, "I didn't want to be found. Not like this." Still, his heart was in the right place. It wasn't fair.

"So… does that mean that anybody can use the Corridors of Light, if their hearts are mostly light?" I asked.

"Not exactly…" Sora said, trailing off thoughtfully. "You have to know that they're there—the connections. And you kind of have to get a feeling for using them before you can open up portals and stuff by yourself. But those are the basics."

"So anyone can _learn_ to use them if their hearts are mostly light?" I asked, rephrasing.

Sora nodded keenly. "Yeah. That sounds about right."

"Hmm." I linked my hands together behind my back, thinking. Then I looked up at Sora, eyes wide and pleading. "Will you teach me?"

He didn't seem to need much convincing. "Um… you probably won't need much teaching, to be honest," he said, smiling. "There's no darkness in your heart to begin with, Princess."

"Oh, yeah," I said, reaching up to place a hand over my heart.

"But everyone else is going to need a _lot_ of teaching," Sora said, looking very weary all of a sudden. His eyebrows pulled together worriedly.

"Everyone else?" I asked, puzzled. "Why does everyone else need to learn?"

"Because it's the key to the king's entire plan—his plan to unify the worlds."

I folded my arms in front of me. "You mean… your mission?"

"Yeah."

A very pregnant pause followed, in which we stood there together and stared up at the moon. It peeked through nearby telephone wires at us, casting its eerie light on the pavement at our feet. Surrounding it was the usual collection of stars—stars that now seemed much closer together than they had before.

"Sora?"

He turned and looked at me, the dim light on his face making his skin look particularly soft and smooth. "Yeah?"

"How are you going to unify the worlds? I mean, it sounds more like the stuff of legends than reality."

He laughed softly, then reached up, very slowly, and took my chin between his fingers. "The hard way," he chortled. And then he was kissing me, one hand holding my face to his and the other on the small of my back.

I kissed him back, quickly forgetting, in the beauty of the moment, that I'd been irritated with him only a few short minutes ago. He was a part of me, and I was a part of him. It was impossible for us to be at odds for very long.

When he finally released me, his eyes were luminous and soft in the moonlight. He stroked my cheek with two fingers, removing a stubborn red ribbon of hair that clung to my cheek. Then, out of the blue, he murmured, "We'll unite _them_ first, Kairi. The people. And once they're united, the true light will return."

"And then… the worlds will be one?"

"Yes," Sora said, releasing me. He held his hands out, fingers spread apart, and brought them together to form two fists, which he promptly brought together. "When their hearts are one, the world will be one. No more Heartless. Hardly any darkness. Only good."

I continued to stare at his hands, awestruck. "It just sounds so… impossible," I confessed.

Sora laughed. "I know. But the king and Yen Sid think that the time is almost right. They know the legends; they've read the signs. And, hey, you said it yourself. 'There are many worlds, but they all share the same sky. One sky—"

"—one destiny,'" I finished, clutching a hand to my heart.

"Right."

He pulled me into his arms again. I stared up at the starry sky, listening to his breathing and enjoying the sensation of his pulse beating against my forehead. After a minute or so, I asked, "So… your part in all this is…?"

"My job, and Riku's, too, is to open the corridors for everyone within the Realm of Light so that they can interact. We have to convince them to love a little more, hate a little less, and accept one another for who they are. It's not an easy job, but it's definitely important…" he trailed off suggestively. "And it can be yours, too, if you want it."

I smiled and burrowed my face into his collarbone. "Of course I want it. I want to be with you. And not just in your heart, either."

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "You will be with me. I promise, Kairi."

I sighed a deep, contented sigh, savoring the smell of his skin and the warmth of his arms around me. "Okay, then. It's settled. We'll save the worlds one last time, just us three. And then we'll retire. Deal?"

Sora chortled. "Okay. But just so you know, this isn't gonna be a quick fix. It might even take _years_."

"Don't be so optimistic. You might accidently make me want to come."

Even in the darkness, I saw his eyes roll.

"How am I going to keep up appearances here, though, if I can't use the Corridors of Light to get back and forth?" I mused. "The people need me."

"We'll figure something out. Don't worry." He smiled down at me, his teeth gleaming like pearls in the moonlight. "If we're together, we can do anything, right?"

It wasn't like me to let go of my fears and trust in a future that I couldn't see. Not the most recent version of me, at least. The old me had been buried in the past, crushed by the weight of the many hours that she'd spent waiting on the beach for a boy that seemed to have forgotten his promise to return. And yet somehow, as I looked up into Sora's eternal, seemingly perfect eyes, I knew that he was right.

"Sure. We'll win this thing, you and me," I murmured against his neck. It was simply a matter of _our_ unity.

One heart. One sky. One destiny.


	13. Salty and Sweet

13

Salty and Sweet

Sora and I eventually made our way over to Cid's shop, where we sat and sipped politely at the bitter coffee he brought us. He assured us, through a mouthful of tobacco juice and obscenities, that he wouldn't tell Yuffie where we were—because she'd stolen his smelly cigar and thrown it in a trashcan, the blankey-blank, and he didn't owe her anything.

"Thanks, Cid," I said, interrupting his long stream of self-invented swears. "And… do you think we could sleep on your couches tonight? Yuffie will probably come looking for us if we go back to the castle…"

Cid squinted blearily at us, inserted a toothpick into his mouth, and grunted, "Don't see why not. Just so no Heartless pop in and trash the joint cuz of _him_." He jerked his head in Sora's direction.

Sora brought all four legs of his barstool back to the floor with a crash. "Hey! You're _lucky_ I'm here! I'll probably end up saving your ass!"

I shot Cid a venomous look. He was a bad example.

Rather than apologizing, he snorted with laughter and removed the toothpick from his mouth with a flourish. "Yeah, you'll save me, alright. From a problem you caused, kid."

Sora scowled. "Can it, Gramps. I'm not the one who let all those Heartless in."

"I know it wasn't you. But it was probably _cuz _of you."

"Okay, enough," I snapped just as Sora opened his mouth to retaliate. "Play nice or we can't stay."

"Fine by me," Sora grouched, folding his arms and sitting back on his seat like a small child.

"Oh, by the way, I found you a new navi-gummi piece," Cid said gruffly. "But I ain't gonna install it for you if you're gonna keep call me names."

All hostility was suddenly forgotten, even though Sora technically didn't really need a gummi ship anymore. They delved into conversation about parts and warp holes, and my attention wandered off in its own direction.

I leaned on my hand and stared into the dark pool of liquid before me, even though the smell was starting to make me nauseous. A pair of anxious, coffee-darkened eyes stared back at me from the blackness. They reminded me of another pair of eyes, gleaming from the darkness— always watching, waiting, and biding their time….

I shook my head as thought to clear it. Why the hell couldn't I stop thinking about Riku? It wasn't as though he couldn't take care of himself. I was being stupid.

The longer I sat there worrying and breathing in those intoxicating coffee/turpentine fumes, the more my stomach began to writhe and churn. I was beginning to wonder if it really _was_ turpentine until I realized that I was sitting next to an overloaded garbage can. A terrible smell wafted from it when Cid shifted positions—the same smell that was making me sick.

I rolled my eyes, stood up, and hoisted the bag out of its canister. "Hey, Cid, I'm going to take this out now," I said, wrinkling my nose and holding it at arm's length.

Cid looked up, startled. "Be my guest," he said gruffly. Sora snorted.

I lugged the bag of toxic waste out the door and into the starry night, then closed the door behind me. I took several grateful gulps of fresh air, then paused to look up into the sky and listen to the steady hum of voices coming from Main Street. The celebrations were still in full swing, apparently.

After throwing the garbage in Cid's huge, graffitied dumpster, I leaned against the door with a sigh, hugging my arms as though to bar out the chill. I didn't want to go back inside—not with Cid barking out insults and giving me the stink eye until I took another swig of coffee, anyway.

My throat tightened. All I really wanted was to know that Riku was safe. It wasn't any of my business anymore… but I couldn't just ride off into the sunset without knowing that he was alright, either.

"Oh, Riku," I whispered, staring up at the moon and hugging my arms. "Why do you always have to be such a tragic little hero?"

A sudden crash sent me whirling around, heart pounding and eyes popping. It had come from the alleyway on my left—an alleyway that was completely shrouded in darkness, incidentally.

I eased myself away from the wall and peered into the gloom, ready to fight or flee at the first sign of movement. Somewhere in the distance a dog bayed; the wind whistled over the chimney tops. But whatever had announced its presence only a few moments ago did not seem eager to make the same mistake again. The blackness remained silent and absolute.

I swallowed hard, then stretched out my hand and closed my eyes. My keyblade appeared with an earth shattering clang and flash of light. I braced myself for whatever must have heard the noise; it would surely spring to attack any second now that my cover had been blown.

I stood there for several long moments, crouched and gripping my keyblade tightly by the handle. But nothing happened.

And then a shadow flitted across the moonlit road in front of me; it was gone in a split second, but I still caught sight of the light that reflected off its silver zipper. I still caught a whiff of damp leather.

A low sucking sound rent the stillness of the night. A patch of darkness appeared—darkness that was much more deep and dynamic than the night sky it stood against. The shadowy figure appeared on the rooftop as well, then sprung into the portal as gracefully as a raven on the wing. Several seconds after he vanished, the portal of darkness was still churning.

I thought of calling for Sora. But before I could so much as bat an eyelash, another figure appeared on a rooftop across the street.

Riku leapt high into the air and landed beside the portal of darkness as though the distance were nothing, when in reality it was more like twenty feet. Then with catlike agility, he pounced on the portal.

It had all happened so fast that my shriek was too late to stop him. "Riku!"

He turned his head just before he sank into the dark depths, his aqua eyes flashing like gemstones. And then he was gone.

"Riku!" I yelped again, dashing toward a nearby fire escape. Without pausing to think, I jumped as high as I could, caught onto the end of the ladder with one hand, and dragged my body upward, feet flailing. I slipped a little, but in the end managed to get a firm grip on the ladder. I then began a hasty ascent, hoping with all my might that the portal would somehow still be there when I made it to the top.

I flung myself onto the roof, scraping my palms rather badly in the process. The portal and begun to close, its black and purplish tendrils curling outward and fading away into the night. I sprinted toward it, but it was shrinking—I'd never fit through, now—

"No!" I yelled to no one in particular, plunging my arm into the darkness up to my shoulder. I wouldn't let him go again. I wouldn't!

The edge of the portal contracted around my arm like the sodden, clammy lips of a dead person—vile and putrid, dank and grotesque. It sucked greedily at my skin.

But I didn't pull out. "No! You can't have him again. I won't let you!"

And then my damp, freezing arm began to burn; a white light surrounded my shoulder like a halo. The darkness shivered and dispersed with a sound that was not unlike a sigh—and quite suddenly, I was standing on a rooftop with my arm outstretched, completely alone.

I stood there for a moment, heart burning with emotion and fingers flexing around my keyblade. Suddenly there was a pounding of footsteps behind me. I whirled around.

"Kairi!" Sora's eyes were wide with anxiety as he ran, panting, to my side. "What happened? What were you yelling about?"

"The man in black! And Riku!" I cried, chest heaving. "We've got to follow them, Sora!"

Sora stared at me for a moment, eyes bright and intense. "Let's go, then. Open a path."

"Open a—path? Me?"

"Do it, Kairi," he urged.

I gaped at him, mouth open and eyes wide. Was he serious? "I can't!"

"Yes you can!" Sora snapped, clearly exasperated. He grabbed me by the tops of my arms, whirled me around, and lifted my keyblade arm out in front of me. "Come on. I've already tried, remember? What if you're the only one who can? What if Riku needs our help?"

My throat constricted. The thought of Riku being beaten down by a dark, faceless stranger made my heart burn.

"Okay." Without really pausing to think or doubt, I pressed my palm outward authoritatively and willed the depths of space and time to part for me.

A sudden flash of light nearly blinded me; the sky seemed to have been torn down the middle like a giant screen, behind which a series of stage lights gleamed. I threw an arm over my eyes, stunned.

"Sheesh, that's bright," Sora said, and I saw him mimic the movement in my peripheral vision. "Way to go, Kairi!"

The light drew us forward until it enveloped our every sense. It was almost as though _it_ came to _us_ rather than the other way around. I turned around, squinting against the brightness, but the doorway seemed to have disappeared behind us.

"Will this take us to Riku?" I asked, peeking back at Sora's darkened silhouette.

He shrugged. "I dunno. You're the one who opened it, not me."

I gaped at him. "What? But _I_ don't know where it leads either."

Sora gave a single-noted laugh, then reached for my hand and took it in his own. "If your heart wants to find Riku, then that's where it'll take us. That's the way these things work."

I looked up at him carefully. "And you're… okay with that?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "Sure. You told me how you felt. And I trust you."

I stared at him for a moment, then threw an arm around his neck and crushed his lips to mine. When we finally broke apart, I stroked his chin with one fingertip and spun on my heel. Together we proceeded into the blinding light: the uncertainty of certainty.

~o~

I lost track of time as we wandered through the bright nothingness, our footsteps oddly muffled against the floor that we couldn't discern from the walls or ceiling. Sora held my hand the entire time. His presence was solid and strong at my side.

I'd once heard that the Corridors of Darkness were dangerous to travel without a vessel. Supposing you had a heart, anyway. Nobodies and Heartless navigated them well enough; they had no such entity to lose. I had been able to pass through them on several occasions, simply because my heart had been made of pure light and was therefore untouchable.

But I worried about Riku. What effects did the darkness have on him, when he lived in a world of in-between? And what effects did the _light_ have on him? Did it hurt? Did it burn him like an ant beneath a magnifying glass?

"Look," Sora suddenly said, interrupting my train of thought. "Up ahead."

I peered through the blinding white in the direction he was pointing. At first there was nothing—only more nothing. And then I saw it—the faint shiver in the white walls; the infusion of color and darkness in a small, circular area. It was as though the light were thinning.

"C'mon." Sora pulled me to a jog. Space and distance regained their meaning as the portal drew nearer, still writhing and churning, its colors a-blur. I held my breath and closed my eyes as we passed through it.

For a moment, it was as though someone had turned off the lights and left us in a midnight-dark bedroom. The absence of light was apocalyptic; it enveloped my every sense. My eyes were open, but they saw nothing.

"I think I'm blind," I said matter-of-factly, blinking rapidly and clutching Sora's hand.

"Nah, your eyes just need to adjust to normal light levels again," I heard him say. Then, "I think… I think I know where we are."

"How?" I wondered, forcing my eyes to focus on the dark silhouette beside me. It was the only thing that I could see.

"Listen."

All I heard was my own breathing. Then the faint howl of a wolf came floating through the air. Goosebumps prickled their way up and down my arms as I caught the staccato notes of branches clicking together in the wind.

And then Sora blurred his way into focus. He was shrouded in darkness. Bare, gnarled branches framed his figure, and moonlight shone down on his cheek and shoulders.

But my eyes must have been playing tricks on me, because the Sora that stood before me seemed to be dressed in raggedy black with a pumpkin strapped to his head. He smiled at me, and for a split second, I perceived that he had _fangs_.

His eyes roved over my figure. "Wow. You look terrifying," he said, still grinning lopsidedly. "But in a good way."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, shaking my head and blinking rapidly. This was so bizarre.

"Look at yourself, Kairi."He chuckled softly; I could tell he was enjoying himself.

Obediently, I looked down at my arms and legs. The first things I noticed where the striped black-and-white leggings; then the boots, the tiny pink dress, and finally the dirty white gloves with the hole for my pinky finger to peek through.

I glanced up at Sora, lips pursed and eyebrows raised. "Um… what's going on?"

He was still looking me up and down appreciatively, his irises gleaming from the blackness that shrouded his eyes. "We're in Halloween Town. There's this spell that makes you—blend in. That's why we look like this."

"Weird," I remarked, peering down at my bare arms. There was an almost grayish cast on my skin, making me look almost undead.

Suddenly, an earsplitting crack rent the air. As was fitting, I jumped nearly ten feet in the air.

Sora whirled around and put a finger to his lips. _Riku_, he mouthed, pointing to a spot on our left.

I craned my neck. Sure enough, a dark figure was weaving its way through the trees. It leapt over a fallen log and took off down the hill.

Ignoring Sora's admonition, I cried out. "Riku! Riku, wait!"

For a split second he turned his face toward us, his eyes betraying his identity quite effectively. And then there was another crash, and a second figure appeared not far from where we were standing. Riku sprung at it, keyblade raised and teeth bared—but a second later it vanished in a churning pool of darkness. Riku dove in after it without any hesitation.

"No!" I yelped, springing after him without thinking.

Sora grabbed my arm and dragged me to a stop. "Easy, Seabiscuit. We have our own ways of getting around, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," I said, watching the dark portal twist and fade.

After it had gone, I stared hungrily at the place where it had been only moments before. It had all happened so fast.

"Why didn't he stop?" I sighed bitterly. "Didn't he hear me call him?"

Sora shrugged one shoulder, shifting his feet uncomfortably. "Um... well, you know Riku. He… he does what he wants to do."

I cocked my head, lips pulling down at the corners. What was that supposed to mean? "You mean he does what he _needs_ to do."

"What he _thinks_ he needs to do, yeah."

I threw him a sour look. It wasn't like him to belittle Riku—which was probably a good thing, because I was now finding out how much it irritated me. Even if Riku _didn't_ care that I was frantically searching for him, it wasn't Sora's place to point that out.

I turned away from him, took several confident steps into the dark woods, and raised my hand. Again, it was as though the scene before me was torn down the middle. Light poured into the gloom, blinding and disorienting.

"Let's go," I said, casting a sideways glance at Sora.

He shouldered his keyblade, sighed, and followed me into the light.

~o~

Agrabah marketplace was pitch black and silent in the night hours—and therefore the perfect place for a black-clad figure to hide. I imagined him lurking behind rolls of elegant cloth, vases, and beaded tapestries, keeping an eye on Riku the entire time, yet still managing to remain unseen by the rest of the world.

Of course, _we_ hadn't seen Riku yet, so we weren't actually sure that he was there. We'd been wandering the dusty streets in silence for twenty minutes. Once a horned beetle scuttled across our path, its waxy black shell gleaming in the moonlight. Other than that, everything was still.

"Are you sure they're here?" I eventually murmured to Sora.

"No," he replied, shrugging. "Only _you_ can know that."

I huffed a sigh. "Stop saying that. Don't be so damn mysterious."

"I wouldn't have to be if you'd trust yourself once in a while."

I glared up at him from beneath my eyelashes. And quite suddenly, a tiny motion just over his left shoulder caught my eye. A tall, thin black figure glided across a nearby rooftop, then disappeared into an open window.

"There!" I hissed, grabbing Sora's hand. "They're here!"

We ran to a nearby fruit stand and ducked behind it. Sora peeked over the counter, eyes narrowing. "What's this guy up to, anyway?"

"Running, at the moment," I replied, keeping my eyes peeled for Riku.

"I wonder why Riku wants to catch him so much," Sora mused.

Again, I was irritated. "Because he's the _bad_ guy, remember?"

Sora snorted. "That's a good enough reason for me and you. But not for Riku."

I opened my mouth, then let it close. There was probably some truth to that.

The dark figure came soaring out of a window on the opposite side of the building, Riku hot on his trail. They dashed along the roof, rounded a corner, and leapt down into the alleyway before I had time to bat an eyelash.

"Come on!" I cried, dashing after them. If only I could get Riku's attention. Surely he would stop. Surely he would wait for us, so that we could continue our search together—just the three of us, like it was always meant to be.

But by the time I skidded around the corner, they were gone. I was just in time to hear the soft sucking sound of a dark portal disappearing.

"Arrggg," I growled, stomping my foot in frustration. Sora screeched to a stop at my side, panting lightly.

We chased them to Wonderland next, passing through hedge mazes and snoozing regiments of cards. I ran until I tasted blood, yelping Riku's name and reaching out for him, but never getting close enough to grab hold.

Then we returned to Agrabah and played peek-a-boo in the palace dungeons. He scaled the heavy brick walls and swung from the chains that decorated the ceiling, but not once did he answer my call. He merely hurried onward, always in hot pursuit of the black-clad figure and feigning deafness.

I sensed that Sora was losing patience with both of us simply because of his expression and the way he stood with his hands in his pockets, looking on. He kept his mouth shut, though, and for that I was grateful. I didn't need him to tell me what I was already coming to believe for myself—that Riku didn't want us to go with him. He didn't want anything to do with us. And he didn't want anything to do with _me_.

I supposed that it was reasonable for him to want to shun me. I'd ripped out his heart, after all. But somehow, through it all, I'd never thought that he actually _would_. I'd thought that he'd cared more than that. I'd thought that he was sort of superhuman in that way. Maybe he was just trying to protect me—he'd already proved himself obsessive in that area by returning to Radiant Garden, after all. But why couldn't he do me the simple favor of answering me, of stopping, or even looking at me? It didn't make any sense.

After leaving Agrabah for the second time and wandering aimlessly through the Corridors of Light, I finally came to a stop in front of the next opening, arms wrapped tightly around my ribcage and eyes smarting. Sora placed a comforting hand on the small of my back, but didn't say anything.

I found that I didn't want to exit the Corridors again. I didn't want to scream after someone who wouldn't reply. The disappointment of it all was sure to choke me.

I wrung my hands, staring at the lines and tiny imperfections on my skin. Finally I looked up at Sora, throat tight and eyebrows furrowed. "I'm confused," I said simply, sadly.

His arms constricted around me; his chin came to rest on the top of my head. "You still want him."

"I want you more." How many times would we have this conversation? And when would it be enough to justify what I was doing to him?

He held me for an immeasurable amount of time, running his hands soothingly up and down my back. It was a really miracle that he was still at my side, when I stopped and thought about it. Someday he would get sick of my indecisiveness; it was inevitable. He'd leave and he'd be better off without me.

The very idea of it brought a fresh torrent of tears to my eyes. I was always chasing after them—Riku and Sora, Sora and Riku. Would I ever be happy with just one of them? Or would they both realize what a selfish monster I was and leave me for their sanity's sake?

Finally Sora lifted my chin and brushed at my damp cheeks. "Kairi, stop," he said gently, interrupting me mid-hiccup with a finger to my lips. "It's okay. Really. I said I trusted you, and I meant it."

"Well, you shouldn't have," I blubbered, brushing my damp, sticky hair away from my face. "I'm sorry, Sora—you deserve so much better than me."

He shook his head earnestly. "Kairi… you're all I ever wanted. You're all I ever _will_ want. I love you."

I looked up at him, eyes round and full. "But I can't s-say the same to you. And I hate it!"

He kissed my cheek, desperate to soothe my pain—as though mine were the priority!—and murmured, "I can wait until you can. I've forgiven you; I swear. All that's left is for you to forgive yourself."

I sniffled a little, mulling over what he'd said. Was it really just… me? Was I the only one who was still holding a grudge here? "But… what about Riku? He hates me."

"It's not your fault if he does," Sora assured me. "And he'll get over it."

I hiccupped again and rested my head on his chest. It was true; I'd made my apologies to Riku. The only one who was still standing by with lofty-eyed disapproval was _me_.

_Believe in yourself,_ a voice said.

I looked up, confused. The voice that had spoken was definitely female; light, delicate, and familiar. But Sora and I were alone—and he was still looking at me as though he hadn't heard a thing. Perhaps it had been nothing but a memory.

A memory! That's exactly what it was. It was a phrase I'd heard before. But it was so cliché—so overused and insubstantial. _Believe in yourself_? If there was any self that I should _not_ believe in, it was mine. She was a demonic little creature.

Wasn't she?

And yet she was the only one who seemed to think so. Maybe… maybe she was wrong.

"Look, Kairi," Sora suddenly said, bringing me out of my reverie.

I raised my head and saw, to my astonishment, a large portal opening up directly in front of us. It was bright and substantial—far more so than any of my past portals had been.

"Where… do you think it leads?" I asked softly, eyes wide.

Sora smiled. "I dunno," he said, tapping his finger over my heart. "I guess we'll find out."

I suddenly realized how heavily I'd been leaning on him. Once I stepped out of his embrace, my legs seemed to turn to Jell-o. He held my hands through it all, though, his eyes never leaving mine.

And then, side by side, we stepped into a whirlpool of color.

~o~

"Ow!" I screamed, plopping down on my bottom and clutching my knee with both hands. As I watched, two beads of crimson appeared between my fingers. "Ow-ow-ow!"

My howls must have alerted anyone within a ten-mile vicinity of my discomfort. It was a hot and blustery day, but that hadn't prevented us paddling out to the island to play. Sora and Riku were somewhere nearby, as well as Selphie and Tidus—I never wandered far from any of them, after all. Still, the decibel level at which I expressed my pain was easily loud enough to reach another world.

A smattering of light, frantic footsteps sounded in my ears. "Kai! Kai! Wassa matter?"

I looked up, my cherubic cheeks dripping with tears. "I'm hurt," I boo-hooed, still clamping my hands over my knee, which I'd scraped rather badly on the dock upon stumbling and falling.

Sora knelt down beside me, his ridiculously huge blue eyes widening at the sight of the blood on my fingers. The hot wind blew his sandy, unkempt hair over his face—a face that radiated such anxiety that an adult would probably find our situation humorous if they could see it. Either that or very, very sweet.

"You need a Band-Aid, Kai? Do ya?" he chirped, placing a tiny hand on my arm.

I made no response except to howl even louder; a trickle of blood had begun its decent down my shin.

Sora seemed to take this as an affirmation. With atypical six-year-old agility he leapt to his feet and sprang off the dock in the direction of the canoes.

A gigantic splash met my ears—I stopped mid-howl and peeked, curiously, over the edge of the dock in time to see Sora jumping to his feet (the water he'd landed in was only about six inches deep) and wading frantically to the nearest canoe.

He scrambled into it, untied the rope, and turned his face determinedly toward me. "I'll be back, Kai," he said gallantly. "Don't worry!"

I sniffled. "Okay." There was a quaver in my voice, but at least I'd stopped bawling.

And sitting on the edge of the dock, I watched him paddle off into the waves, his sharp little elbows poking the air with each backward thrust. I watched him disappear as my tears dried in the hot wind, wondering all the while why he'd been so quick to volunteer. Sure, he was one of my "bestest" friends, but he was always doing things like this for me. _Always._

Always waiting, always watching. Always _there_, no matter the physical distance between. Always.

And besides, (I thought as the memory faded like the sunset) those physical distance days were over now. Which made the "always" thing even _more_ real.

He took my hand, stealing my attention from the distant waves over which it seemed he had disappeared only moments ago. "What are you thinking?" he whispered, slowly and passionately. He reached up to trace my lips in an almost worshipful manner.

We were sitting on that same old dock, listening to the waves rush in and out. And in that moment, I doubted there was a more beautiful place in all the worlds.

I smiled and looked at my knees. "I was just… remembering," I said quietly.

Sora smiled too. "Mmm," he said softly, breathing deeply and closing his eyes. "Good place for it."

"So… I'm guessing you like my destination choice?"

He nodded, one corner of his mouth pulling upward. "Definitely my favorite. Although Halloween Town comes in a close second."

I raised an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

"No reason," he said teasingly, grinning even more widely and putting his hands behind his head. The smirk on his lips said otherwise.

I took his chin between my fingers. "You're a dork."

"Nah, I'm just a sucker for redheads in spandex and goth make-up," he murmured, inching his way forward by minute, incredibly unnerving degrees. He turned his head to the side ever so slightly, and, still grinning impishly, touched his lips to mine.

I ran my fingers through his hair, kissing him back and savoring his taste and the smell of his skin. He was so _good._ Everything about him was delicious. Even his _touch_ tasted good on my skin. My lower back was addicted to the feel of his hands and arms. My lips were addicted to his face, his neck, or any other part of him that they could reach. We needed him like air—all of us.

He pulled me onto his lap and cradled me in his arms like a small child. His hands were so smooth, and yet so rough all at the same time—freak, I loved those stupid gloves he always wore—and a tiny gasp escaped my lips as they wormed their way beneath my shirt and came to rest on my ribcage. I cradled his face in my palms and sucked on his mouth like he'd stolen my dying breath.

After a while, I got daring enough to wrap my legs around his waist and run my hands along his chest. His hold on me tightened almost instantly; the tempo at which his lips danced with mine increased dramatically.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me down on the dock—hard. His eyes were bright and his breath came in short, rapid gasps as he leaned over me, teeth gleaming like pearls in the moonlight. I would have complained about the goose egg I could feel growing on the back of my head, but his lips silenced mine quite effectively.

His hands ran up and down my arms, my stomach, and the sides of my thighs. Mine knotted in his hair as he caressed the insides of my knees.

After a minute or two, I turned my head, gasping for breath. His lips trailed kisses along my jaw, down my neck, and across my collarbone and heaving chest. I marveled at his endurance. Did he ever pause to breathe, this boy?

It had never been like this before. Not with Riku—not with anybody. There was so much between us now—so much pain, so much passion, so much sweet chaos. We shared too much to remain apart, physically or emotionally. We were starving for more.

His kisses rained down on me, but my body was as dry and thirsty as desert soil. And then I realized, as his fingertips began to dip and slide beneath the hems of my shorts, that we weren't going to be able to stop this time. There would be no Heartless to distract us, no shrieking Yuffie or crumbling staircases. There was only us.

The very idea of it made my stomach twist into a knot of anticipation. "Sora," I panted, worming my way out from beneath him. "Sora, wait…"

It wasn't easy to reach him where he was. His eyes were dark, deep, and hungry; his Adam's apple bobbed dramatically as he sat back on his heels and gazed down at me. His hand was still resting on the inside of my leg in a way that was making my toes curl.

I peeked up at him from beneath my eyelashes. "Sora… I…"

And rather abruptly, he sighed and removed his hand from my leg. "Sorry," he murmured, eyes downcast. "Dunno what got into me…"

I gaped at him for a moment. "No," I said, surprised, "I didn't mean _that_… I just wondered if _you_…" I found myself blushing and looking at the grove of palm trees just beyond his shoulder. For some reason, I couldn't continue. Instead, I sat up and crushed my lips to his once more.

His body went rigid with surprise, then it became relaxed as I wound my arms around his waist. When I finally broke the kiss, he leaned back, cocked his head, and looked straight into my eyes.

"Kairi," he said, softly and slowly, "I love you."

I met his gaze with identical devotion. He was so beautiful, gazing down at me with the moonlight cradling his face like that. He was so _Sora_. "I know," I breathed.

He brushed his lips against my cheek. To my surprise, the tip of his tongue flickered out and brushed against my skin. "You taste like sea-salt ice cream after you've been crying," he explained, half-smiling.

"What's that?"

He laughed. "Um… it's this ice cream flavor that _should_ be nasty… but it's actually pretty good. It's salty and sweet at the same time."

"Hmm." My lips curved upward involuntarily; I looked up at him with what I imagined must have been a mooning expression on my face. Maybe he didn't realize how incredibly romantic he was being right now, but _I _sure did. I kissed him—for what must have been the ten billionth time, but what _felt_ like the first—and wrapped my arms around his neck.

To my astonishment, however, he broke the kiss after only a few seconds, got to his feet, and offered me his hand.

My eyebrows shot upward, but I took the hand and allowed him to pull me into a standing position. He then scooped me into his arms, smiling widely, and proceeded to carry me along the dock and down the rickety steps to the beach. I wasn't sure where he was taking me, but I found that I didn't care—just so we would be together.

As he wandered along, I rested my head against his chest, content. The wind rushed through the nearby palm fronds, soft and familiar, and in the distance I could hear a chorus of crickets. Beneath my ear, Sora's heart spoke clearly and fervently of his intentions.

_Lub-dub, lub-dub. Kai-ri. Kai-ri._


	14. Darkness Calling

14

Darkness Calling

Ocean air always smelled sweeter to me in the morning. By afternoon it was always muggy and heavy, but around seven in the morning it was light, fresh, and delicious.

I could still remember breathing deeply of it on my walks to school in the morning with Selphie. It was always cool enough to be refreshing, and yet warm enough that it didn't leave me chilled after it played across my skin. Mundane as it was, the ocean air was probably one of the things that I missed most about the islands when I first moved to Radiant Garden.

And so I smiled and breathed of its refreshing aroma, stretched until my back popped, and then exhaled contentedly. The thin white sheet that covered my body was identical to the one hanging in the doorway; when I opened my eyes I could see it fluttering in my peripheral vision.

I sighed again, then smiled even more widely as Sora's arms tightened around my body. His bare skin made up for what the raggedy sheets lacked in thread-count softness. Plus it smelled amazing. They could bottle that smell, slap a label on it that said nothing but "Sora," and sell it as designer cologne.

I peeked at him from beneath my eyelashes, rather inclined to think that he was only pretending to be asleep in spite of the fact that his breathing was deep and even. I ran a finger down the middle of his chest, then kissed him lightly on the cheek. The faint smile that spread across his face confirmed my suspicions.

I sat up, winced, and laid a hand over my lower back. Sleeping on a wooden floor with nothing but a sheet separating your body from an effusion of potential splinters is rarely a good idea. Plus, all my muscles seemed to be complaining from the hardness of the surface upon which I'd slept. Or maybe I was just… shell-shocked.

Sora opened his eyes a miniscule amount, wrapped his hands around my waist, and pulled me back into a reclining position against his chest. His eyelashes fluttered. "Sleep," he said drunkenly.

He was so beautiful and vulnerable like this. How long had it been since I'd seen him sleep? I wanted to touch each of his dark, trembling eyelashes and kiss his pale, sweet lips as softly and as silently as the morning light did. I wanted to lay my head against his chest, breathe the same air that he did, and become a part of _him_ for the rest of forever.

But this little tree house in Destiny Islands did not hold that forever, unfortunately. A new day was dawning. And Radiant Garden was waiting.

I sighed. "We've got to go, Sora…"

"Hmm-mm," he disagreed, shaking his head haphazardly back and forth. A scowl appeared on his lips. "Sleep."

"I can't. I have to go home."

Slowly, he opened his eyes. A sad little frown twisted his lips. When he spoke, his voice was soft and lonely. "So… this isn't home anymore?"

I sat up, tucked a strand of sleep-tousled hair behind my ear, and hugged my knees to my chest. "In a way it is. It's a part of me," I said thoughtfully, staring at the light that had crept its way inside and made sharp little shadows on the uneven wooden floor. "It's where I found you. But destiny won't let me stay here anymore. It's given me a new home."

"Destiny?" Sora's eyebrows shot into his flyaway hair. He sat up a little; the sheet bunched up around his stomach and wiry forearms. "I didn't think you believed in that anymore."

I smiled faintly. "How could I not? It's come rapping on my door so many times."

He sat up all the way, a frown pulling at his lips. "So… I'm guessing this is the end of our vacation, huh?"

I laughed and scooted over to him; he wrapped his arms around my bare, slender body almost automatically. "What? You don't think one night is enough time to recuperate?"

"Funny, I don't feel very rested." Sora looked up at me, smirking.

I stuck my lower lip out. "Me neither. But you won't catch _me_ complaining."

He laughed at my feigned sulkiness and rested his chin on the top of my head. "Seriously though… do you even _want_ to rule Radiant Garden? Did anyone ever ask you that?"

I remembered a red-headed little girl who'd once stood on a balcony overlooking the city, asking herself that same question. She'd been so bitter—or more truthfully, so afraid. She was afraid of the destiny that had called her away from her loved ones. And she was afraid of the future that would take her even further away from them.

But, I suddenly realized, I wasn't that little girl anymore. And I wasn't afraid anymore. Because Sora was with me now. And this time he was with me for good.

"Yes," I said simply. "I want to rule Radiant Garden."

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. We merely watched the sunrise stretch across the wooden floor, sinking into the little cracks and divots like water. Every inch of progress that it made reminded me of the minutes that were passing—the few, precious minutes that I had alone with Sora. They were always so quickly spent.

"I guess we should go then," he finally said, loosening his hold on me. His hands rested on my knees as he buried his face in my hair and breathed of its aroma. "I'm sure Yuffie's got a busy day planned." His voice was slightly muffled.

I rested my hands on top of his and caressed the hardened skin around his knuckles. Yuffie _would_ have a busy day planned. She'd be in her element—making calls, ordering food and fancy clothes, scheduling press conferences…

Yuffie.

"Shit!" I yelped, springing out of Sora's arms like a Mexican jumping bean. I stumbled across the room and nearly crashed into the wooden doorframe.

"Whoa," Sora said, jumping to his feet and catching me by the elbow as I screeched to a halt, wobbling dangerously. "Where's the fire?"

"Yuffie's going to be furious!" I groaned, clutching at my head, which was suddenly spinning.

"Probably. But there's nothing we can do about that now."

A possible scenario came to mind, in which Yuffie was storming through the city, bursting in and out of random doors and overturning trash cans like an angry tigress on the prowl. Now and then she emitted feral little snarling noises and seized hapless bystanders by the throats.

"Great," I murmured, pinching the bridge of my nose between two fingers. "I am _so_ dead."

Sora laughed aloud; his eyes flashed with unsympathetic humor. "C'mon. She'll get over it."

"Easy for you to say," I muttered. I scowled at him.

He rolled his eyes, bent over, and kissed the tip of my nose. "Well, I take it you have no regrets, Princess?" There was a smirk in his voice.

I took his chin between my fingers and kissed him firmly on the mouth. "Only a few," I teased, craning my neck to get a better look of room. It was strewn with random articles of clothing. The board games and boxes of cookies that Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka had previously stacked lay on the floor in a jumbled heap. I noted, with some amusement, that my bra was dangling from the window frame.

My eyes swept the demolition site again. "Hmm. I can't see my pantsu anywhere." I frowned. "You'd better find them, or… or…"

"…Or what?" he snickered, giving my lips a swift peck.

I pouted. "Or I'll never be able to wear them again."

He cocked his head to the side, the sunshine spilling through his tousled, sandy-brown hair and falling upon his naked shoulders. His eyes were playful and bright in their oceanic blue; a smile twisted his lips. "Hmm. You make a good argument."

"That's what they tell me."

He took my hands in his and rested his head on my shoulder. Together we stood in the warm, sweet sunshine, savoring the moment. In the distance I could hear the wind and the roar of an ocean swell.

"Sora," I finally said.

"Hmm?"

"We have to go."

He sighed, took a handful of long, dark red hair, and let it fall through his fingers, piece by piece. "I know," he eventually murmured, resigned. Why did he have to sound so glum?

"And when Yuffie asks, it was all your fault. Okay?"

He burst out laughing. "Hey, don't drag me into this. She's _your_ lady-in-waiting."

"Yeah, and the longer she waits the more dangerous she gets. So unless you _want_ to be grievously injured…"

"Okay, okay," he muttered, releasing me and striding across the room. He began gathering his clothes—slinging them piece by piece across his arm with a sulking look on his face.

As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of white in my peripheral vision. There was something draped across the railing outside with a little red bow on it—aha.

I slipped outside and snagged my pantsu off the balcony railing, hoping all the while that the island was still exclusive to Sora and I. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka had been known to come out here first thing in the morning, after all. Or at least they _had_ three years ago.

"You ready?" I asked, once we were fully clothed. The patch of sunshine on the floor reached the back wall, now.

He looked up at me, suddenly speculative. There was a playful little smirk on his lips.

"What?" I asked, wondering if I looked as frightening as I felt. I ran a hand through the bird's nest that was my hair.

Suddenly he strode across the room, grabbed me up in his arms, and kissed me until I was breathless. His hands were hard against my back and neck, his breaths coming in deep, shuddering gasps.

"Sora," I moaned, twisting my head around so that I could breathe. He trailed a series of delicious kisses down my neck. "We _have_ to go back."

"No we don't," he said huskily, fingering the zipper of my shorts. "We don't _have_ to do anything…"

"But what about—"

He silenced me with his lips. When he finally broke the kiss, he muttered, "C'mon, Kairi. Five more minutes. Please."

I sighed and kissed his cheek. "Fine. Five minutes. But that's all you've got."

The grin that spread across his face was exultant. "No worries. Five minutes is _plenty_ of time, Princess."

My tank-top seemed to fly over my head on its own accord.

~o~

The sun was rising fast in Radiant Garden; the long shadows that were draped across the road had begun to compact. Everything was hushed—and not a voice to be heard anywhere. I found it somewhat unusual.

"What time do you think it is?" I asked Sora.

He looked toward the sun, frowning. "It must be around eight…"

"Hmm…" It was late. Why was everything so quiet?

"Maybe everyone is still sleeping, 'cause of that huge party last night," Sora said. He sounded anxious, though, and I knew his thoughts were in tune with mine.

Something was wrong.

Our footsteps echoed against the high cottage walls surrounding us. I peeked into a window, and an unsettling sight met my eyes. A table was set, but gobs of cold egg and bits of toast littered the kitchen. A chair was tipped over on the floor. A broom lay on its side.

And there was nobody there.

"Look," Sora said.

I followed his gaze. There were two vegetable carts in the road, and one was tipped over. Beets and tomatoes littered the ground. Most of them were trampled on.

"What the _heck_…?" I ran over to a doorstep, and pounded frantically on the front door.

No answer.

I pounded again, this time louder.

Still no answer.

I ran from door to door, pounding and shouting and ringing doorbells. But there were no responses, no footsteps, no friendly hellos.

Sora watched me from the street. He was biting his lip.

I came to a door that was wide open, leaning on its hinges. Something bad had happened here. I walked inside, and the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up.

A vase was shattered, the sofa was tipped over, and there was glass all over the floor.

"Hello?" I shouted. No answer.

I walked into the kitchen. There were huge holes blown out of the tile. What on earth could have happened?

Suddenly, there was a rustling noise. I whirled around, and my eyes fell on a garbage can in the corner of the room. Plastic cups, paper bags, and apple cores were heaving up and down, as though the garbage were breathing. An empty can fell out and onto the floor, where it rolled, clattering, across the tile.

I took several steps backward, and my breath caught in my throat. "Who is it?" I demanded. "Who's there?"

The rustling stopped. For a moment, it seemed as though the garbage had never moved, and I was shouting at nothing but a bunch of trash. And then all hell broke loose.

The garbage can suddenly burst open, and a tidal wave of trash flew over the entire kitchen. I screamed and shielded myself from the worst of it.

A Heartless leapt from the remains of the trash can, twitching angrily, its yellow eyes flashing. And then, without warning, it leapt at me, claws slashing wildly. I didn't even have time to summon my keyblade.

I screamed as one of its long, sharp claws pierced my side and tore me open, all the way down to my waist. The pain was excruciating. I flung the creature off of me, gasping and clutching at my open wound. Hot, sticky moisture was seeping through my fingers.

"KAIRI!" I heard Sora shout. It sounded like he was in the living room.

"In here!" I cried out.

The Heartless was on its feet again. Suddenly, Sora burst into the room, keyblade in hand. He brought it down once, twice, on the Heartless's sniveling body, then slammed it against the wall, where it faded away in a cloud of darkness.

I was gasping for breath by time Sora was finished with it. Blood was running down my arms, hot and wet. It pooled on the floor.

Sora took one look at me, raised his keyblade into the air and shouted, "_HEAL!_"

A tickly feeling ran through my body, and I felt the edges of my cut pull themselves together. And then the agony went away, as quickly as it had come, and a gust of strength rushed through my limbs.

I gasped, peeking through the tear in my blood-soaked tank top. There was only a long red line where the skin had been slashed open.

Sora almost ran to my side. "Are you okay?" he asked. His face was pale, his mouth tight.

"Yeah," I said, looking curiously at the blood running down my side, which seemed to have no source.

"It's only Cura; I haven't mastered Curaga yet," he was saying fretfully. "Let me see it."

I grabbed the shredded tank top and pulled it up to my bra. Sora ran his fingers along the puckered red line. His face was lined with worry.

"It feels fine now," I said honestly. "It doesn't even hurt when you touch it."

"Sheesh, this must have been _deep_. I wish I'd used Curaga," he muttered. "Now it's going to scar."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I don't care."

"Hmm," he said by way of agreement, "At least you're okay…" Then he scowled and said, "I should have just followed you."

"Or better yet, I shouldn't have come in here in the first place," I said, pulling my shirt down.

"Yeah, well… now we know who's behind all this," Sora said, and his mouth twisted in anger, "The Heartless."

"Why am I not surprised?"

Sora snorted. "We've got to find everyone. But where could they be?"

I thought for a second. "The Postern! That's the town's emergency gathering place."

"Alright, let's go."

We had barely made it out of the suburb when we were greeted by three Blue Rhapsodies and a Morning Star. The Morning Star was a giant, spiked ball with beady eyes and a wicked disposition.

"Stupid Heartless!" I growled, and felt a familiar weight in my hand just before the keyblade materialized.

Sora smiled at me. "You're really getting good with that thing. Maybe we could duke it out sometime, see who's the strongest."

"Okay, but no holding back."

He grinned. "Don't worry, I won't."

"I meant that _I_ wouldn't," I said mischievously, looking up at him from beneath my eyelashes.

He smirked at me, and I felt another powerful urge to touch him—his lips, his neck, any part of him that I could reach. But there wasn't time for that.

So we plunged into the crowd of Heartless.

~o~

I was panting heavily by the time we reached the steps to the castle Postern. Sora had to grab my hand and pull me up the last few.

It was a good thing the Postern had been expanded, because there was a huge crowd of people there, huddled together, talking nervously. A few caught sight of us and shouted and pointed.

I was so glad to see them that I didn't even mind it.

Suddenly, I heard a yelp. "Kairi! Oh my gosh! Yuffie, they're here! Sora and Kairi!"

Sora and I looked up. Aerith was running through the crowd toward us, relief written clearly across her face. She was swaddled in a bathrobe, her bangs in curlers.

Yuffie came running around the corner with an even louder shriek. "Kairi!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "It's okay, Yuffie, we're fine." I was still breathing heavily.

"Where—have—you—_been_?" She demanded, reaching out and catching my arm in a vice-like grip. Her eyes were like pools of molten lava.

I looked at Sora. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Erm… out."

"Well I guessed _that_ much," Yuffie growled. Then her eyes widened as she caught sight of my wound. "Oh my gosh—what _happened_ to you?"

I looked down at my bloody shirt and arms.

"A Heartless got a hold of her," Sora explained. "I casted Cura on her, but I don't know how well I did…"

Aerith lifted my shirt and examined the bloody area. "It looks decent. We should be able to take care of this scar later."

"Don't worry about it, it's fine," I said, pulling my shirt back down. People were staring.

"There're Heartless in town square," Yuffie said, reclaiming my attention. "More than the security system can handle. And we can't figure out where they're coming from!"

"Yeah, we noticed," Sora said, rubbing his shoulder where a Soldier had slammed into it.

"Is that why you evacuated the town?" I asked anxiously, looking around at the crowd.

She nodded. "There were too many of them. They were overpowering us, and they were going into people's houses. We didn't have a choice."

"Sora," A low, nasally voice said. "Where have you been? There're Heartless everywhere."

We turned our heads, and there was Leon, walking toward us as calmly as if this were only a drill.

I was embarrassed to see Sora blush and duck his head. "Umm… Y'know, around."

"Well I wish you'd been around _here_. It's not like we don't have enough to do without having to look after stupid teenagers all the—"

_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_

A colossal explosion rent the air. I glanced up in time to see a mushroom cloud rising fast above us, blotting out the sun, before a shockwave threw me on my butt. Pieces of brick and stone flew in every direction. People were falling all around me; Sora and Aerith tumbled over and landed on top of me. Several screams rang out. Then everybody was talking at once.

"What in the world—!" Yuffie exclaimed, still hanging onto Leon's arm, which she had grabbed for support.

Leon's eyes were on the sky, which was already filled with smoke. "This is bad," he murmured.

"Ya think?" Sora said, disentangling himself from Aerith and me.

I peered anxiously through all the smoke. "That sounded really close!"

"What was it?" Aerith wondered, still managing to keep her voice soft, though her bright green eyes were wide with fear.

"The Heartless," a flat, monotone voice answered.

We looked up in time to see a tall blonde figure approaching us. A black cape rested lightly on his broad shoulders. His deep blue eyes were angular, shadowed, and intense, like the rest of his features. His mouth was like a gash on his face, always flat and dangerous. And he carried a long, heavy sword.

"Cloud!" Yuffie, Sora, and Leon shouted at the same time.

He nodded at us, and then his eyes found Aerith. She stood there, her hands clutched to her breast and her eyes wide.

"Hey," he said slowly.

She just stood there, mouth trembling slightly. And then finally her lips parted, and a single word escaped them. "Hey."

"I came back," he said evenly.

She nodded slowly, and the corners of her lips curved upward. "Again," she murmured.

"Again."

Time passed, and no one said anything. A tear glittered on Aerith's eyelashes, then streaked down her cheek.

Sora put his hands behind his head.

Then Leon cleared his throat and said, "So… er… Cloud. What do you know about this?"

Cloud looked away from Aerith, a little unwillingly, and said, "Not much. Just that a giant Heartless appeared and smashed its way out of your castle."

My breath caught in my throat.

Leon and Sora exchanged startled glances. "Well that explains the explosion…" Leon muttered.

"Don't worry," Sora said, and he tensed himself for the keyblade that materialized in his hands. "I can take 'im!" He turned toward the steps, his eyes fierce.

"Hold on partner," Leon said, grabbing him by the collar. "We don't even know how 'giant' this thing really is."

Sora raised an eyebrow at him. "I think I've defeated my share of giant Heartless," he scoffed. "I can handle it."

"Not without my help," Cloud said flatly. He raised his sword.

"And mine," I said, summoning my keyblade.

"Me too," Aerith said gently.

"And don't forget the great Ninja Yuffie!" Yuffie crowed, drawing her long, lethal-looking shuriken from her belt. Her fury seemed to have been forgotten.

Leon rolled his eyes and exchanged glances with Sora. "Well, I guess that means I have to come along to keep _these_ guys out of trouble."

Sora looked around at all of us. He seemed to debate for a moment, eyes roving appraisingly over each of us. Finally he shrugged. "Alright. I guess it's your choice."

Suddenly, there was an earsplitting crash, and fragments of blue crystal came thundering down the cliff. Screams pierced the air, and there was a mad scramble to get out of the way.

"_Defense_!" Sora cried, and a shield swelled from the tip of his keyblade until it encircled the entire postern. With a crash and a clang, the fragments of crystal were repelled and sent tumbling into the chasm below. I shivered as the air around us shimmered with the force of the blow.

And then Heartless began pouring from the top of the ridge, where the crash had come from. At first there were only a few, but it quickly morphed into a steady stream. The stream became a torrent, and the torrent was coming right at us.

"Yikes!" Yuffie yelped. "Okay, change of plans—protect the people!"

"Right," Sora and I agreed, keyblades raised.

They hit like a tidal wave. Not only Armored Knights and Surveillance Robots, but Shadows, and Heartless with long spears and a certain horsey odor whose name I didn't know. There were Soldiers, and floating Heartless with books. There were Heartless wearing long purple robes, cringing and moaning and clutching with their crooked, undead fingers.

I lunged at one, but it was too quick for me. It met me with its long, scratching fingers extended and sent me sprawling. I gritted my teeth, leapt to my feet and gave it a sharp jab.

Meanwhile Sora was mowing them down. I watched as a Heartless with a book tried to throw a fireball down into the crowd. Its green cap bobbed and its yellow eyes gleamed.

_"Freeze_!" Sora shouted, bracing himself, and three giant shards of ice shot out of his keyblade, dousing the fire and knocking the Heartless out of the sky.

"Aiee!" Yuffie screamed, leaping through the air and darting into a pack of Shadows. Just before she could slice them down, they melted _into_ the ground and crawled around on the ground. One came scuttling toward me; I kept an eye on it, and when it popped back up into the third dimension I beat it down until it faded with a sigh.

The crowd was running down the steps and away from the castle. There were hundreds—probably thousands—of them, all in a mad scramble. Children wailed in their parents' arms. Fragments of brick and ash were tumbling down on us. Heartless poured in from the opposite side.

"Where are they going?" I shouted.

Cloud was the only one close enough to hear. "They're going to the Bailey. Merlin's going to try and set up a force field there."

"Oh, I hope they'll be safe!" I wailed, imagining their panic.

"They'll be fine; just worry about yourself!" Cloud advised, taking a heavy swing at several Heartless at once.

I was unpleasantly surprised that he would say such a thing. "That's a cowardly thing to do."

He narrowed his eyes. "It's not cowardly. It's smart. The one who looks out for himself is left standing."

I stared at him, uncomprehending. And after that moment, I didn't like him as well as I had before.

Suddenly something hit me, hard. The breath was crushed from my lungs, and I was sent sprawling. I looked up, head spinning, to see an Armored Knight, its sword raised high over me.

I opened my mouth and tried desperately to gasp for breath, but nothing would come. My lungs seemed to be paralyzed. And yet they screamed for air.

I rolled out of the way just as the sword came crashing down. Then I leapt to my feet. The keyblade in my hands seemed to lunge at the Heartless all on its own. With a clang, it made contact with the metallic beast, which promptly faded away. A heart, sparkling faintly, flew skyward.

Finally, I was able to draw breath; the air tasted sweet.

Suddenly, amid all the shouts, screams, and mayhem, I heard an odd noise. An echoing whistle.

_Fiiihuuuwhoot_.

It seemed to resonate through my memories. I could almost see the yellow dog, barking and wagging its tail, and I could almost feel the burns on my arms. And I knew there would be a portal of darkness around here somewhere, waiting for me to leap into it. It was though I was being summoned.

I hesitated for a moment, chewing on my lip and looking nervously about. And all in a moment I was dashing through the crowd, pushing my way through the people who had more pressing matters on their minds than a runaway princess. I wove my way in and out of the approaching Heartless, who also seemed to be too preoccupied to chase me.

And then I saw it—the portal. It was twisting and writhing by the back door of the castle. I hesitated, about six feet from its black and purple depths, and goosebumps prickled their way up my arms and legs. I could already smell the damp and the chill that seemed to be coming from the Realm of Darkness.

And then it came again. The whistle. _Fiihuuwhoot_, it said. _Fiihuuwhooot._

_Oh Riku_, I thought to myself, _don't make me do this._

The edges of the portal began to shiver and fade. I knew that the whole portal would close soon; I had only moments to act.

I crept closer and closer, but my body began to tremble. I was so afraid. Finally, I closed my eyes and whispered, "I trust you." And then I stepped into the blackness.

There was nothing at first. Only darkness. It swirled around me, making the hair on my arms stand straight up. My throat constricted with fear.

And then I saw him. He stood there, his hand extended toward me, his face glossed over and his eyes empty.

Somehow, he looked different. "Riku…?" I murmured, suddenly afraid of him.

He didn't speak, only nodded. Then he motioned with his head for me to follow him as he began to walk even deeper into the gloom.

I followed him, but I wasn't as sure as I had been before. There was just something strange about him. Even his posture looked different…

I heard the portal behind me close. Now I was stuck here, in this horrible, chilly, dank place…

I looked around, startled that I couldn't see Riku's bright figure in my peripheral vision. I was shocked to find that he was submerged in a cloud of pulsating darkness.

"Riku!" I screamed, dashing toward him.

And suddenly the darkness was gone. But so was he.

A man in a black cloak stood there, facing away from me. "Riku…" I murmured, wondering if I'd see the face of Xehanort's Heartless when he turned around.

But as the man turned, I could see the sharp angles of his face, his big, high cheekbones, and his pointed goatee beneath the shade of his hood. I gasped.

"You're even more gullible than I had imagined," he said, with a dark chuckle.

I balled my hands into fists; anger boiled at my insides. "Chancellor Tsukada!" I growled.

He snorted. "Wrong. The man you call Chancellor Tsukada is dead now, obviously. How else would he have a Heartless?"

"A Heartless?" I cried, narrowing my eyes. "What are you talking about? You _are_ Chancellor Tsukada!"

"No I'm not," the man said impatiently. "I'm his Heartless. How else would I have impersonated your roughish friend?"

"What?" I gasped. "That's not possible…"

And then I remembered Sora telling me about a Shadow Heartless who'd pretend to be Belle to lure Beast away from him. Could this be the same type of situation…?

"Chancellor Tsukada's _Heartless_…?" I whispered.

He rolled his eyes at my distress.

"What happened to my uncle?" I shouted. My voice echoed in the vast expanse. "What'd you do to him?"

"_I _didn't do anything to him," the man said. "He did this to himself."

I shook my head. "He couldn't have! He was Ansem The Wise's brother!"

"Your _father_ said it himself," the Heartless man said, examining his fingernails. "No matter how pure the heart is, even a drop of darkness can spoil it. This was the case with your uncle. Jealousy, pride… well, you get the idea."

"No," I whispered, more to myself than him. "No…"

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then, Princess," Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless said. And then a portal of darkness opened up behind him, and he began to ease himself into it.

"No!" I shouted. "Wait! Where's Riku? What did you do with Riku?"

But the man only smirked at me and slid away into nothingness. I ran towards him, but the portal faded before I could reach it.

And then I was alone. The obscurity of this place was suffocating me, closing in on me, cold and pulsating and thick… I curled up in a ball.

"How long?" I murmured, to no one in particular. "How long did I know the real Chancellor Tsukada? Or… did I ever even know him at all?"

The silent gloom did not reply.

Suddenly, there were bright yellow eyes winking at me through the blackness. I leapt to my feet, and with a clang, my keyblade materialized.

"Here we go," I said, baring my teeth. Shadows crawled forward to meet me, their antennae twitching and their eyes bulging.

And I plunged into the darkness.

~o~

The pain was excruciating. I could feel warm blood trickling in rivers down my skin, but since my entire body was screaming in agony, I couldn't locate the wounds from which they sprung.

Still, I managed to swing the keyblade. And still it managed to find its target. Even if I couldn't see through the darkness, it could. Again and again and again it came down on my foes, and they withered away into nothingness.

For what could have been hours—but what felt more like days—I fought onward, fought for my life. And still there were Heartless everywhere. They appeared in little circles, twitching and eager to attack. I didn't know what it was—maybe the place, or the hopelessness that was beginning to grip my heart, but something was sapping my strength. Or maybe I was just tired… my arms felt like jelly. My shoulders ached from carrying the heavy keyblade. When a Shadow leapt on top of me, it was even harder to throw it off and get back on my feet than before.

And suddenly there were Neoshadows, walking on slender legs and twitching their long, lightning-shaped antennae. These swung their heavy claws at me and slashed into my skin. Then, with odd twirling movements, they vanished into pools of darkness beneath their feet.

"He was trying to kill me," I said, blocking a heavy blow but receiving an equally painful one from behind. "That was his plan all along. He lured me here to kill me…"

A screech from a nearby monster seemed to confirm it. I cried out as a set of claws raked across my shins. Droplets of blood showered my toes.

Where was the glory? The glory of battle that I had experienced yesterday—the thrill that ran from my head to my toes? The shouts and the cheers?

Certainly not here.

"He wants me to die," I moaned. "And he's going to get what he wants…"

I was gasping for breath. But still I managed to swing the heavy blade and dodge what I could of the onslaught of attacks.

And then something heavy caught me in the back. I fell to the ground and struggled to get up, but an uncomfortable weight seemed to be pressing down on me, keeping me from ever rising again…

I was going to die here. Here in this dark, horrible place, I would lose my heart for the second time in my life. But this time, Sora was nowhere nearby to catch it in his own, to shelter it and keep it from the Heartless. And after my Heartless was born, Riku might try, once more, to save my empty shell from the darkness… but there would be no point… my heart would be gone, and my body would become a Nobody… wouldn't it?

I tried to fight. I tried to throw the creature off of me, to worm my way out from beneath its claws. But I was so weak…

Suddenly, something bright and transparent began to flow out of my body. It glowed silver through the darkness, writhing and turning, and then it took form.

It was a girl. She wore a white dress, and had long blonde hair that seemed to coil around her neck. She gave me a serene smile, then turned and walked away.

"Wait," I whispered. "Naminé… come back…"

She stopped, raised an arm, and opened a portal. The darkness inside it was warped and churning, most unlike the silent black walls surrounding us. Did she want me to step into it? Was it a way out of here?

"I can't," I moaned, trying to toss the Heartless off of me, but only succeeding in twitching my pinky finger. "Oh, Naminé, I can't…"

She strolled, casually, back to my side. Then she put her finger to her lips, as though to shush me, and touched my forehead.

I gazed up at her, confused.

She took my hand and lifted it high above my head. "Your turn now," she said simply, sweetly.

And suddenly, I understood. Using my last bit of strength, I willed the walls of this dark and dreary place to split. The resulting flash of light was absolutely blinding.

Naminé glanced at the portal of light, then beamed at me like I was a kindergartener who had drawn a particularly pretty picture. Still smiling, she vanished like a puff of smoke.

I gasped and looked around for her, but I was alone again.

Both portals, one of light and one of darkness, continued to warp and pulsate, but I couldn't reach either of them. I couldn't even get up. The darkness had begun to coil around my arms and legs. What had Naminé expected me to do?

Before I could find an answer, I began to slip under. It was the easiest path. The darkness was like nothing—nonexistence, a world much more cold and lonely than sleep, where memories and thoughts occasionally drift across the surface of the mind.

I fell into the coldness, the nothingness. My fingers twitched, then went still.

I wondered if my heart was gone. It felt like it. Funny, how vital that little organ was, that little shimmering gem. I was nothing without it.

But then, from somewhere inside me, a voice penetrated the blackness… a voice from long ago.

"_Kairi!" _It called out. Someone was searching for me.

_ "Oh—Grandma!" _a tiny voice sang out, a tiny voice that was mingled with my own.

"…_Listen child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power, and push the darkness away."_

_ "Mm-hmm!"_

And then light began to seep back into my heart, one buttery, sunshiny drop at a time.


	15. The North Tower

15

The North Tower

"C'mon Riku, calm down."

"Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to calm down?"

"Sedatives? I don't know."

"C'mon, hurry, help me lift her out of the darkness… It's sticking to her! Hurry, lift her legs!"

Fingers on my neck, back, and thighs. Then a painful tugging on my already throbbing limbs.

"She's gonna be okay. Donald, hold her head, will you?"

"Sure, Sora."

Thin, almost feathery fingers on the back of my head.

"What? What do you mean she's gonna be okay? Look at her, you idiot! Are you blind? She's like a ragdoll… just like last time… lifeless…"

"It's _not_ the same as last time."

"And how would you know? Freak, Sora, you're such a brainless son-of-a—"

"Shut up. I can tell she's okay without using my _eyes_. I can feel her heart."

"Feel it? Like feel it beating?"

"No. Like feel that it's there. It's synced up with mine, remember?"

"…Oh."

A long silence. I tried to lift my eyelids, but they were too heavy.

"So what do we do now, Riku? How do we get out of here?"

A long sigh. "I don't know. This isn't my realm anymore… I'm as useless here as you are… 'course, you're pretty much useless anywhere you go…"

A loaded pause. "Wow, thanks."

"Any time."

"…Let's just try and heal her."

"_You're_ going to heal her? Are you sure you can?"

"Well… It'll help, either way… even if I can't get her back up to one-hundred percent… Hold her for me, will you, Riku?"

A pair of thick, strong arms wound around me and my head lolled against a solid chest.

"_Heal_!"

A tickly sensation flooded through me, and my eyes popped open as though the oppressive weight had vanished into thin air. Riku's face was close to mine, his eyes filled with anxiety. Sora was not far away, looking a little shaken up, but not overly concerned.

"Sora?" I murmured. "Riku? Where am I?"

"The realm of darkness," Sora said, coming close enough to take my hand.

Riku scowled. "A better question might be, 'how in the name of Hans Christian Anderson did you get here?'"

"Yeah, Kairi," Goofy's voice said, "We was wondering that ourselves."

I turned my head ever so slightly and saw Goofy on Sora's left. His bulbous eyes were on mine, and his unusually large front teeth stuck out from between his lips.

I couldn't help but smile. "Goofy? How did you get here?"

"I'm here too, Your Majesty," somebody quacked at my elbow.

I looked down and laughed out loud with delight. Donald! He stood there, holding his magic staff and smiling up at me.

"It was the strangest thing," Goofy said, reclaiming my attention; his long, silly ears flapped as he bobbed his head dramatically. "We was walkin' along, through the castle gardens, and all of a sudden, this shiny white portal opened up, right in the path! Donald didn't want to go, but—"

"I thought it might be dangerous, o-_kay_?" Donald said, scowling and folding his wings.

"Well, anyways, we jumped right into it, and then we ended up here! And you was layin' on the ground, with all sorts of Heartless on top of you! So me and Donald took care of 'em, and then Riku and Sora came along, and now everythin' is alright." He smiled, closed his eyes, and gave a happy nod.

I looked back and forth between the two of them, and then at Sora and Riku. Sora was smiling proudly, glancing back and forth between his comrades, but Riku was still scowling.

"Thanks, Donald. Goofy." I said, smiling rather feebly.

"No bother, Ma'am," they chimed together.

My hazy mind began to clear. I realized that Riku was holding me. Again, I felt a certain sense of security in his warm embrace, but I knew from past experience that to enjoy such a thing was hazardous to my health. So I leaned away from him and murmured, "Set me down. I can stand."

He hesitated, but eventually let me down on my feet. I wobbled a little; I was still a somewhat weak and my head spun. But at least I could remain conscious.

"You okay, Your Majesty?" Goofy asked, putting his heavily-gloved hands over his mouth.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, waving one hand. "And you don't have to call me that, guys—I'm just Kairi, okay?"

"Hyuck! Sure thing, Kairi," Goofy said, pleased.

I looked at Sora, and then at Riku. "So how did _you_ two get here?"

Sora frowned. "Well, somebody opened up a portal for me, as well. Dunno who it could've been…"

"Same here," Riku said, folding his arms. "I was in Twilight Town."

"Really?" I said, looking back and forth between them in mild confusion.

"Yeah."

"Well, Chancellor Tsukada opened up one for _me_," I inserted with a shiver. "I mean—Chancellor Tsukada's _Heartless_."

"What?" Sora said. "He's a _Heartless_?"

Even Riku looked startled. "Wait—how long has he _been_ a Heartless?"

"I don't know," I said, a little despairingly. "I don't know! That's what freaks me out!"

"Well," Donald said, "Was he mean to you, Your Majesty?"

I was startled by the straightforward nature of the question. My eyes widened. "Yes," I said slowly, "But there are plenty of mean people in the worlds that aren't Heartless, aren't there?"

Donald didn't hesitate to answer. "Well, I think the meaner they are, the more darkness is in their hearts," he said. "And the more darkness is in their hearts, the more likely it is that they're a Heartless."

"Yeah," Goofy agreed, "It's like Master Yen Sid said! If somebody gives in to all that meanness inside 'em, they'll lose their heart!"

A profound silence followed.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "I think they're right," he said, insultingly surprised.

"So…" Sora said, putting his hands behind his head, "Chancellor Tsukada was a bad guy, ever since Kairi knew him?"

"Maybe not that long," I said thoughtfully. "I mean, there was definitely darkness in him, but…" I sighed. "Oh well. I guess what matters is… he's gone."

"Yeah," Sora said. "But his Heartless is still kicking."

Then, something occurred to me. "Holy crap!" I exclaimed, making Donald and Goofy jump, "It was _him_!"

"What?" Sora, Riku, and Donald all asked at once.

I was almost jumping up and down in my astonishment. "He was the one who crashed out of the castle! He's the one letting all the Heartless in!" My brain was spinning.

"Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless?" Sora exclaimed. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Of course! He's just power-hungry. That's probably why he lured me in here in the first place; he wanted to get me out of the way. He wanted to do me in, so that I couldn't interfere anymore!"

"Yeah, that makes sense…" Riku murmured. "Did you guys see any sign of him after I left yesterday?"

I racked my brains. "No. I didn't see him at _all_ yesterday."

"Hey, maybe you did!" Riku exclaimed, his aqua eyes glowing with sudden understanding. "The man in the black coat, remember? I chased him in and out of portals for hours. Then I lost him in Twilight Town. He must have come back here once he was sure I wasn't following him anymore. And he created another security breach!"

Sora looked completely lost. "Wait, wait, wait, wait. Why would he do any of this? Why would he attack the city?"

"To subdue the rebellion," I said. "He wants absolute power. He wants to rule Radiant Garden!" The anger was welling up inside of me; why hadn't I realized any of this sooner?

Riku frowned as though he were not entirely convinced. "Hmm. We don't really have any proof. But it sounds… probable."

Goofy's eyebrows pulled together. "The more I hear about this Chancellor guy, the more I don't like 'im!"

"Yeah," Donald said, raising his staff into the air, "Don't worry, Kairi, we can take care of him!" He looked so cute in all his quacking fury, with his eyebrows pulling over his round black pupils and the corners of his bill turned downward. I was touched by his sincerity, and would have graced him with a giggle and a hug if I hadn't known that such a thing would hurt his feisty ducky pride.

"I think they have a point," Riku said. "The only way to end this is to end that Heartless."

I realized that everyone was staring expectantly at me, as though they were waiting for my approval. I took an involuntary step back. "What?" I asked. "You know it isn't up to me. We have to do what's right."

"Are you gonna be okay with this?" Riku asked, frowning. "He _is_ your uncle…"

"No," I said firmly, "He's my uncle's Heartless. And we have to stop him before he ruins everything that we've worked so hard to build. It's what Ansem The Wise would have wanted."

"You weren't so sure about Ansem The Wise a couple days ago," Riku reminded me, giving me a knowing look. "And now you think you know what he would want?"

I thought about that for a second, then gave him a tiny smile. "Yeah. Actually, I think I do."

~o~

I opened up another path rather effortlessly, in spite of the fact that I hadn't been able to do it before without Naminé's help. Something about having my friends there with me made me feel stronger. Confident, even.

To my despair, Riku threw an arm over his face as the light tore its way across the darkness and took several hasty, stumbling steps backward. And then, as he raised an arm and opened up a portal of darkness without a word to anyone, I suddenly understood the need for two portals to bring my friends to me. Riku didn't want to use the Corridors of Light. He couldn't.

My throat tightened as he disappeared in the pulsating blackness. But then Sora took my hand, and we sank in to the light with Donald and Goofy close behind us.

"He'll be waiting on the other side," he said, his voice gentle and reassuring in my ear.

When we stepped out of the portal, we were in a dark, chilly place. Piles of shattered marble littered the slick white tile we were standing on, and the high windows above us were broken. A couple pigeons were perched around their edges.

With a soft sucking sound, Riku appeared. I tried to capture his gaze, but only stared at the floor.

"Where are we?" Donald quacked, as though he hadn't found Riku's mode of transport unusual or else didn't care. He looked around the vast, empty room, his staff raised and his eyes narrowed.

"The castle entrance hall," I said after a moment, puzzled. "But it's so quiet."

Sora frowned. "Well… the giant Heartless appeared here, didn't it? It must be long gone by now."

I nodded. But then why had the portal brought us here?

Riku didn't look convinced. "Don't let your guard down," he advised. "Anything could happen."

"So what should we do?" Sora asked.

Riku peered around the dark, echoing room. "Well… let's search the castle. Maybe this is where Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless is hiding out."

We began the long climb up the staircase, leaping over the places where the marble had been blasted away. It was all so still and calm after yesterday's battle; I couldn't help looking over my shoulder for a Heartless now and then.

When we reached the third floor where the grand staircase ended, I noticed the air was full of dust and smoke. Sora coughed and pulled his shirt up over his nose, but Riku merely looked nervously about, his eyes glowing, fierce and icy despite the dim light.

"Wak!" Donald said.

"This castle sure is spooky!" Goofy commented, tapping nervously at his chin.

"Not _as_ spooky, since it was remodeled," I said fairly. "It's just the smok—"

_THUUUUUUUD!_

The floor shook so violently that it threw us in a heap. With multiple shouts, we were sent sprawling. Despite my best efforts, I landed on Donald and felt my left elbow make contact with Riku's stomach.

"Wak!" Donald said. "Ouch!"

"Gawrsh! Sorry, Donald!" Goofy cried, removing his foot from his friend's head.

"Ow!" Sora complained. "Freak, Riku, you punched me in the nose!"

"You'll live," Riku said unsympathetically, getting to his feet and brushing the dust and ash from his T-shirt.

Someone beneath me gave a tiny groan. "Oh, gosh, Donald, I'm sorry!" I cried. I rolled off Donald's squishy, feathery body squealing, "Sorry, sorry," all the while. After pulling the duck into a sitting position, I was a little alarmed to see his pupils spinning around in dizzy circles.

"I'm o-kay, Kairi," Donald tried to reassure me, but his slurred words contradicted it.

I tried to get to my feet. "Ow," I murmured, rubbing at my elbow. I caught Riku's eye, and he grinned.

"Rock hard abs," he said with a shrug. "You got what was coming to you."

Suddenly, an earsplitting roar sent us leaping to our feet. It made the entire castle tremble, such was its volume.

"What was _that_?" Goofy yelped.

"The Heartless!" Riku cried, and his eyes were suddenly fierce and intense. With a clang, his keyblade appeared. "It's outside—hurry!"

We ran to the balcony overlooking the castle gardens. From the railing, we could see it—a huge, maroon-colored monster with scaly wings, perched right on top the south tower!

As we gaped at it, it gave another terrifying roar.

Suddenly, something had a vice-grip on my shoulders. In sharp, jerking movements, it began dragging me away from the group. I yelped and tried to wriggle out of its grasp, but it was no use—and then I tilted my head back and caught a startling, upside-down image of my captor.

"Riku!" I yelped, grabbing his hands and trying to pull them off. "Let me go!"

"No," he said firmly. "You're going to wait inside."

"I don't want to!" I said, prying ferociously at his fingertips. "I want to help! I can help!"

Suddenly, to my astonishment, he stopped. I felt his entire body go rigid with tension, and then his voice became as icy as death itself. "Let go, Sora."

I turned my head around and saw Sora standing at Riku's elbow, his eyebrows angrily pulling together. His hand was resting firmly on Riku's shoulder.

"No, _you_ let go," he said blackly. "She has just as much business being here as you do."

I caught sight of Donald and Goofy. They were staring at us, and their eyes were wide with shock. Donald's bill was hanging open.

Riku shrugged out from beneath the offending hand. "Look, Loverboy, I just don't want her getting hurt. You may think this is just a game, but it's not."

"I never said it was!" Sora said angrily. "I just know that she's tired of having to stay behind."

Donald shook his head and came forward. "Sora, maybe she _would _be safer in there," he said quietly. He put a wing on Sora's elbow.

"No. I'm going. You're not leaving me," I said, catching Sora's eye.

"Of course we're not," he assured me.

But Riku made a low, gravelly noise in his throat. "Yes we _are_," he said forcefully, and began to drag me toward the imprisonment of the castle doors.

When Riku released me it was so sudden that I was sent stumbling toward the ground; I caught hold of Donald's shoulder just as an earsplitting _clang_ filled my ears.

I whirled around to find Sora and Riku glaring at each other from opposite sides of crisscrossed keyblades. Riku's teeth were bared, his arms straining against the weight that Sora was bearing down on him with. Sora's eyes, so usually filled with perfect compassion, were tight and nothing short of furious. The muscles in his arms and legs were taut.

"No!" I shouted. "Stop!"

The blades slipped, and in a lightning-quick motion, Riku lunged at Sora. But Sora evaded the attack with a nimble bound and a spin. As he came around, he caught Riku in the back with the tip of his keyblade. Riku stumbled, then whirled around to meet Sora's next attack. The blades clashed again—they seemed to be rebounding off each other, as though they wouldn't quite contend with one another.

"What's happenin'?" Goofy asked anxiously.

Sora and Riku lunged at each other again, but each gracefully maneuvered out of danger's way. They moved so quickly that it was hard to see them at all, but whenever the keyblades came in contact, they would bounce off one another with a _clang_ and a flash of light.

Suddenly, I realized that my fingers were curled around something. I looked down and was startled to see my keyblade hanging there. I hadn't even consciously summoned it.

And then I understood what was going on. Every time Sora and Riku came together, my fingers flexed around the handle of my keyblade, and a barrier erupted between them.

"Oh," I breathed, looking down at my miraculous weapon, "I'm doing magic!"

"What'd'ya say, Kairi?" Goofy asked, taking his gaze from the battle for a moment.

I smiled. "Look, it's me! I'm doing it!" And at that moment the titans clashed again. This time, I noticed a bright flash of light come from the tip of my blade. "I'm doing magic!"

"Magic!" Goofy exclaimed, putting his gloved hands over his mouth. "Where'd'ja learn that?"

There was a sound of heavy scuffling, and suddenly Riku and Sora were sent flying on the rebound; each landed on their butt. They quickly recovered themselves and were at it again.

"I don't know!" I said. "But I can kinda feel it."

"Hmm," Donald mused. "I've heard that some magic comes from the heart. Not from a spell." He frowned. "At least that's what Merlin said."

"Gawrsh, I guess Kairi's heart just don't like to see Sora and Riku fighting," Goofy said wisely.

I returned my gaze to the boys I loved so much. It was true—the last thing I ever wanted to see was a brawl between them. They'd been best friends before I'd screwed everything up, after all.

There was an even louder _clang_, and both were sent sprawling. Rather than jumping to their feet and leaping at each other, however, they only sat up, panting and glaring.

"What's going _on_?" Sora demanded, his breath coming in heavy gusts.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Riku snapped.

Donald and Goofy chuckled, and Sora and Riku looked at us. I put my keyblade behind my back, but I knew they'd already seen it. Their eyes widened.

"Kairi!" Sora said, "Was that you?"

I nodded, but couldn't help smiling.

"How are you doing that?" Riku growled.

I shrugged. "My heart, I guess. Physically, I may not be able to keep you from fighting, but…" I smiled.

Sora laughed outright, but Riku only continued to scowl. Suddenly he was on his feet.

"Well," he said, "I guess Sora isn't going to be able to attack me again," he said, taking a tight hold on my arm.

My delight suddenly turned to resentment. I grabbed Riku's hand and tried to pry it from my arm, but I couldn't do it. He was dragging me toward that confining door and there was nothing I could do about it. How did he get so damn strong, anyway?

"No!" I yelled, "Riku, stop it!" I wanted to take a swing at him with my keyblade, but at the same time, I didn't want to hurt him.

Sora started forward, but Goofy touched his shoulder. "It'll be okay, Sora," he said, and after a long moment, Sora nodded.

"No! Goofy, you traitor!" I howled.

"Sorry, Kairi!" Goofy said as Donald and Sora chuckled.

Riku pulled me inside the doorway, then turned and slammed it shut in my face. I watched as he picked up a piece of twisted metal that had fallen from the explosion on the tower and rammed it through the door handles.

I yanked on them, even though I knew my efforts would be futile. "Riku!" I shouted, "Riku!"

But he ignored me. I watched as Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Riku gazed skyward, and then latched onto the rough stone walls of the castle and began climbing upward.

I was furious. Why did Riku have to do this? He was so protective that he was smothering me. He just didn't understand that this was my fight just as much as it was his. Or maybe even more so.

"I'm _not_ a sissy little princess," I hissed through my teeth, to no one in particular.

And then an idea struck me. Though the stairs had probably been blown away, there were probably alternate routes to the tower. And I was sure that I knew where one was—one that I was almost positive that no one else had ever found. It was on the other side of the castle.

I'd been there before. I could vaguely remember a crystal switch and a rickety platform dangling from a cable…

I ran down the hallway and up another flight of stairs. When I reached the heavy library doors, I pushed them open with confidence. Inside was the same dusty, vacant place that I had encountered the last time I'd been here to stare at Setzer's portrait.

I ran up the stairs, and there, right in front of me, was the bookshelf standing next to the passageway. I slipped inside, and, ignoring the paintings that lined the walls, hurried into the dark.

The passageway seemed longer than I remembered it, but maybe it was because I was in a hurry and didn't have a flashlight. I felt spider webs brushing against my arms, and occasionally one of the little creatures made contact with my skin, but I didn't have time to worry about them today. I brushed them off of me and continued on until I could see a dim light at the end of the tunnel.

And sure enough, the balcony, the platform, and the switch all looked exactly the same as I remembered them. They hadn't been touched during the remodeling of the castle, so they were still perfectly intact.

I hesitated before the crystal switch. I wasn't really positive that it would even take me where I wanted to go.

Then again, if I never tried it, I'd never know…

I touched the crystal. For a moment it glowed, and then the platform glided to the edge of the balcony. I could see the mists of Radiant Garden swirling far below, and for a moment, my head spun with fear. But then I thought of Sora and Riku, and pulled myself together.

The platform carried me horizontally for a while, gliding over spires and past windows. Then, it hit a sharp incline, and in a few short moments it was thrusting me into the clouds.

I'd never realized how tall the castle really was. The platform carried me up and up and up, until at last it reached its destination.

I climbed off of it and onto a small balcony. A door stood there, gaping open as though it had been standing that way for years. I wondered what awaited me inside it.

It was dark and musty, of course—like any other uninhabited part of the castle. A flight of narrow stairs twisted upward in a distinct tower-style fashion.

"This is it," I said under my breath. _Take that, Riku._

I hustled up the stairs, and was again surprised at how very tall this tower must be. The stairs just kept coming and coming. There seemed to be no end to them.

After a while, I found myself trudging rather than hustling up the stairs and clutching at a stitch in my side. "I bet you wish you'd done those exercise videos with Yuffie, now," I reprimanded myself through winded breaths.

At last, I could hear wind whistling through cracks in the eaves of the tower. I arrived at a trap door, wrenched it open, and felt a shower of dust and bugs crash down on my head. Coughing and swatting at my hair, I pulled myself through the trap door and onto solid stone. The top of the tower was flat, thankfully, so I wouldn't have to worry about rolling off. My keyblade materialized in my hand, and I leapt to my feet, expecting the blow of a heavy claw or a high pitched cry in my ear.

But the roar sounded a lot quieter than I'd though it would. It echoed as though it were some great distance away. I whirled around and gasped at what I saw.

The Heartless was on the top of the south tower, alright. And I was on the top of the north one! I was so surprised and angry that I actually dropped my keyblade and ran to the opposite side of the tower for a better view.

I could see Sora and Riku taking jabs and slashes at the great beast. I could see it rear and snap at them with its great jaws. It would flap its mighty wings, and the sudden gust of wind would just about blow them off the tower.

Not that I had a great view of it or anything, though.

"Great," came my sarcastic snarl. "Just perfect."

"I'd say so, yes," came a quiet response.

I whirled around, and there was Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless, smiling and spinning my keyblade around on his finger.


	16. Heroine

15

Heroine

I'll admit I was a little afraid at first. But as my eyes roved over the figure of the man I hated so much, anger welled up inside of me, pushing all the fear away.

"You know, I'm a little upset that you came out of the realm of darkness with your heart intact," Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless said, still spinning my keyblade around as though he owned it. "But then again, I can hardly say I'm surprised. You always were one for ruining my plans, even when they were harmless."

I glared at him. "I don't think they ever were. You only wanted me to marry Setzer so that you'd have a stupid king who would follow your orders. All you ever wanted was more power."

"Hmm, interesting assumption," the Heartless said. "But that wasn't entirely my idea, really. Your dear daddy set that one up. Of course, if he'd lived to see the fool that prince has become, he probably would have changed his mind."

"How long?" I seethed. "How long has my uncle been dead?"

"Since the darkness in his heart and the jealousy of his brother overcame him," the Heartless said, his voice flat and monotone as though he found the subject mildly disinteresting. "Before you came here, obviously."

I swallowed hard. So I hadn't known my uncle after all.

"So," Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless said, gripping my keyblade by the handle, "let's make this quick, shall we? No crying, no begging."

I looked him straight in the eye. "Yeah sure. It should be easy to destroy a skinny girl with no weapon," I sneered.

He snorted. "You know, you've tried to attack my honor before, but you're forgetting something. I'm a _Heartless._ I have no sense of _honor_. I see only victory and defeat."

"Well then," I said calmly, quietly, "get ready for the ride of your life." I tensed my muscles, readying myself for anything he might throw at me. I was definitely not going down without a fight.

He laughed loudly, his head back and his chest heaving. "Feisty and stubborn to the very end. You're an interesting specimen, aren't you, Kairi?"

"That's what they tell me," I said as he continued to chortle. As he stood there, laughing like an idiot, an idea occurred to me.

"Now then," he said, slowly regaining sobriety, "Let's see how you like it when I turn your own weapon against you." He stood back on his heel and raised the keyblade high above his head. His eyes gleamed fiercely, and I knew I had only seconds to act.

I clenched the fingers of my right hand into a fist. With all my might, I willed that the keyblade might materialize there; it was a wish that pulled from my heart and made my limbs tingle with anticipation. It was a wish that made the keyblade vanish from my opponent's hand in a flash of light.

"What?" he exclaimed, looking disbelievingly at his empty fingers.

With a clang and a bright white flash, I was holding my keyblade again. The keyblade of which I was the true wielder, and no one else.

"Hah!" I said triumphantly, wriggling my fingers against the warm steel handle. I lifted it above my head and leaned back on one foot, pointing the blade directly at my Heartless foe.

The man looked completely taken aback if not furious. He narrowed his eyes at me, and then slowly drew a long and lethal-looking staff from his belt. "Very good," he seethed. "But it takes more than just a fancy toy to make a little girl into a warrior."

"Good thing I'm more than that," I said steadily.

Suddenly we were interrupted by a roar and a shout; I couldn't help but look to the side to see what was going on. I caught a glimpse of the great monster, with Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Riku in the air, slashing at its head, before I realized that I was in danger. I turned just in time to see Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless bearing down on me. I quickly raised my keyblade in self defense. The shaft collided with his weapon, and I was nearly thrown off my feet by the force he was exerting.

He was so heavy! The weight against my keyblade forced me down, enough that one of my knees hit the ground. I was gritting my teeth and pushing against him as hard as I could. But my strength just wouldn't be enough. I was already weak.

Suddenly, a warmth spread from the handle of the keyblade into my hand, and then it ran through my arm and into the rest of my body. It was like I had been injected with liquid courage and strength. Again, I gritted my teeth together, and this time shoved upward with all the might in my slender, but sturdy body.

The Heartless was knocked into the air, but quickly recovered himself before he hit the ground. His eyes, which had been merely filled with hatred before, were now filled with fear as well. He turned on his heel and began to circle me with neck bent and profile low and dangerous.

I held the keyblade firmly in one hand; its power seemed to leak into me, making me not only strong, but fearless.

This time the Heartless came at me so fast he was almost a blur. Like lightning he struck, aiming for my middle. But with a mighty swing of the keyblade, I deflected his blow; we collided with a loud _bang_. It didn't take long for him to recover himself. With another rapid sweep, he aimed to knock my legs out from beneath me, but I managed to leap into the air, just in time, and with teeth gritted and eyes fierce, I brought the keyblade down on his shoulder as hard as I could.

He didn't crumple. Rather, he sprung out of my way, gasping and clutching at his wounded appendage. It was not the way of the keyblade to draw blood or create large wounds, but rather to draw strength from its opponent, pulverizing not only their muscles but their will to fight and their overall stamina.

He was strong, though. In a split second any damage to his shoulder was forgotten, and he was striking at me like a venomous snake.

I jabbed at him, but he danced easily out of the way; he swung, and I ducked. Each time our weapons collided, the lethal _clash_ of extraordinary, powerful metals rang in our ears, but he would quickly escape out from under me and my keyblade would strike the ground with a crash. Though he appeared to be stronger than me, our head-to-head had already proved that such was not the case. And he was no fool.

Suddenly, his entire body began to glow with an eerie, black and purple light. He was lifted several feet into the air, and his eyes glowed with anticipation. I stood rooted to the spot, a new kind of fear prickling its way up my spine. But my keyblade continued to warm me, pouring courage into my heart, though I knew that I was about to face true evil in all its power.

With a strangled cry, Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless was flying toward me with inhuman speed, his staff extended and his eyes fierce. His approach was so swift and deadly that I had absolutely no time to get out of the way; he struck me, hard, and I fell to the ground in a crumpled, gasping heap.

"Sonic blade," he said, lowering himself to the ground. "Inescapable."

My entire body hurt; it was as though I'd been hit by a truck. In normal circumstances, I know I wouldn't have been able to rise again, to pull myself to my feet and battle on. But the keyblade not only kept my heart warm and brave and full of light, but also seemed to be pulling me to my feet on its own accord. I stumbled forward, and my legs were suddenly strong enough to support me, to keep me fighting this Heartless who so desperately wanted to destroy me.

The Heartless rose again in his cloud of darkness, his eyes boring into mine as though I were his hapless prey. But this time I was determined that I would be ready; I tensed myself to spring.

"Yah!" he snarled, and this was all the warning I needed; I leapt into the air as high as I could, and felt a rush of wind beneath me as the Heartless went flying past. He slid to the very edge of the tower roof, where he whirled around and came flying back at me.

This time I was not quite quick enough. I felt the staff catch my right foot as I desperately sprang out of the way of this unstoppable force; it seared in pain.

But I had no time to catch my breath. With another shriek, the Heartless was flying at me again, like a bullet which could change directions on a whim. Again, I leapt into the air as high as I could, and he went sailing beneath me.

Again and again he charged, and I jumped. It seemed as though our deadly dance would never end. He knew I would get tired eventually, and he would be able to knock me down and keep me there.

I knew that I had to stop him somehow. There had to be a way!

Once, as he wheeled around, I noticed that the pulsating darkness that surrounded him seemed to dim when he did so. In that moment, I could see his figure clearly, and I knew that this was his only moment of vulnerably.

I knew I had less than two seconds to act. I dove and rolled toward the edge of the tower, ignoring the fact that if I went too far, I'd go sailing to my death, and also if I wasn't fast enough, he would catch me and I might not be able to get to my feet in time. I sprang up just as he struck at me with another blood-curdling shriek, my heels caressing the edge of the roof, my muscles tensed and ready.

I sprang with all my might, and sailed high into the air. Directly beneath me, he slowed an infinitesimal amount, and I could see his body, shrouded in black.

I pointed my keyblade downward, and it seemed all too eager to comply, almost dragging me along with it. With all the strength in my body, I plunged, lifted, and struck.

There was a deafening _clang_, and the Heartless was sent sprawling. The dark power that had surrounded him was gone, and there was only a man in a black robe, crumpled on the ground, weak and vulnerable.

I lunged at him, and my keyblade made greedy contact with the side of his body. It sent him rolling toward the edge of the tower, gasping for breath. Though obviously stunned and disoriented, he managed to spring to his feet and thrust his staff defensively upward just as I took another swing at him. Our weapons collided.

Surprisingly, he managed to throw me off of him. I stumbled backward, and looked up in time to see him rising vertically into the air, the power of darkness emanating from him. His eyes flashed with strength that was part of something much more terrifying than I could comprehend. Suddenly, he lunged and thrust his staff into the ground.

With an earth shattering _crack_, tendrils of darkness swept across the roof until it was completely covered in their writhing, clammy texture. I gasped as something crept up my legs, binding them together. I wriggled and squirmed, trying desperately to free myself. The panic that came over me made it hard to think and hard to breathe.

Suddenly, the tendrils of darkness began to glow, and a pain such as I had never known swept throughout my entire body. I screamed and writhed, but the pain was everywhere, overrunning my senses and bringing tears to my eyes. My heart gave a vital throb, but there was some kind of evil force inside my body, working against it, sucking the power right out of me…

And then I could feel heat radiating from my keyblade… it wasn't just warm on my fingers; it was _hot_. And then I knew what to do.

Somehow I found the strength to wrench my arm back. My shoulder screamed in agony, but my keyblade glowed with triumph, and I thrust it into the ground with all the power I could summon from my body.

Bright light blazed from the fissure in the roof; it swept up the tendrils of darkness, causing them to writhe horribly and wither away as though the light itself were burning them. And then with a snap and a crack, the Heartless, who was floating in the air above us, was thrown to the ground, weak and vulnerable once more.

I sank to the ground, gasping with relief. The light faded, but the pain was gone, and we were alone again—just the Heartless and I, no dark powers involved. However, we were so weak that we could only crouch there, panting.

Finally, I found the strength to pull myself to my feet, grab my keyblade by the handle, and wrench it from the ground. Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless was cowering not far away, unable to defend himself. I knew that this was the time to act.

Suddenly, a wild cry rent the air. I looked up in time to see the giant Heartless on the south tower, wobbling drunkenly on the edge, lashing its tail as though it were confused. I could see Sora and Riku slashing at its head while Donald and Goofy attacked its scaly claws. I wondered which of them had shouted, and why they'd done so.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless stagger to his feet. He glared at me and raised his staff.

I heard Riku yell, and glanced, for a brief moment, in his direction. The giant Heartless seemed to have regained itself as well. It gave a mighty roar and seemed to catch its balance. Its tail stopped lashing.

Just as it lunged at Sora and Riku, Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless lunged at me. I brought up my keyblade and blocked him just in time.

Again, he slid out from beneath me. This time he swept around me and tried to catch me in the back, but I was too quick for him. Our weapons collided again. Then he ducked, I slashed, he jumped and jabbed, I blocked.

Finally, I caught him in the stomach, sending him sprawling. As he struggled to regain himself, I heard an agonized cry. I permitted myself another look at the giant Heartless.

It seemed to have slumped to the ground flapping its ragged wings helplessly. Its head whipped back and forth, and it seemed utterly and completely confounded. Almost as though its brain had been unplugged from its body…

Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless staggered to his feet again. I scolded myself internally for not finishing him off when he was down and out… but somehow the idea of doing so was almost repulsive to me. I wasn't sure why. Maybe because, while he had no sense of honor, mine was overdeveloped.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the giant Heartless regain its composure. It shook its head, as though it were clearing it, and gave a mighty roar. Sora and Riku lunged at it.

I turned my attention back to the other Heartless, but was startled to see that he was no longer looking at me. Rather, he was anxiously watching the giant Heartless, a look of fearful concentration on his face. As though he were willing it to keep fighting, as though it could not do so on its own…

They were connected.

This new revelation sent my mind reeling. Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless was somehow controlling the giant one! And when he was knocked down, and his mind was sent spinning, his control on the giant Heartless weakened!

I lunged at the Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless, but he ducked and danced out of the way of my follow-up jab. Our weapons collided again and again. As we fought, I could see a fierce determination light up his eyes. He wasn't going to make things easy.

He caught me by surprise when his staff made contact with my shins. The force of the blow knocked my feet out from under me. I fell to the ground in a heap.

I looked up and caught sight of what easily could have been the last thing ever I saw: Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless, his staff raised high above his head and pointed directly at my heart. He leered down at me, a trickle of blood running down his face. His mouth was tight, his chest heaved, and the only thing that I could think of in that moment was that I was staring into the face of absolute evil.

He lunged so fast that I was ill-prepared. But a sudden, powerful yank on my arm dragged me out of harm's way; the staff plunged into the ground where my heart had been a split-second before.

I didn't need the keyblade to tell me what to do next. I pulled it high above my head, and in one mighty movement, slashed into the body of darkness before me.

He stumbled back, gasping and clutching at his chest. His eyes rolled in his head, but he stood his ground, unwilling to fade away, unwilling to admit defeat.

Suddenly I heard a panicked roar. The giant Heartless was reeling, confused and angry. It seemed to decide that there was no reason to be fighting after all, with no one to tell it to do so. It reared, spread its raggedy wings, and took to the sky. I saw Riku leap up and grab onto its tail. He reached out to Sora, who sprung just high enough to catch his hand. Donald and Goofy jumped as high as they could, but fell to the ground in a tangled heap.

The giant Heartless flew in a tight circle, banked to the right, and came flapping toward the north tower. It screeched, and even from this far away, I could see its giant yellow eyes rolling.

Riku and Sora started climbing up its tail. I could see their hands sliding across the Heartless's smooth scales as they struggled to reach its head.

Suddenly, the drunken beast seemed to catch sight of Chancellor Tsukada's Heatless. It screeched and propelled itself high into the air, and then launched itself upon us.

I had no time to move. I could only cover my head and duck as the two-ton spawn of the darkness crashed down on the top of the north tower and on top of us.

I heard Sora yell as a giant set of talons nearly crushed me. I rolled out of the way just in time, dragging my keyblade with me. I could smell the monster's sweat and feel the heat that came from its massive body.

"Kairi!" Sora yelled as the Heartless roared and lifted its massive head. "Kairi!" I could see his face now. His ocean eyes were filled with terror as they took in the precariousness of my current situation, but it didn't matter. They filled me with warmth and light, as always, and courage surged through me.

Suddenly, the beast wrapped me up in its talons. I gasped; its grip was so strong that it took my breath away. I could see Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless standing on the edge of the tower. He was glaring at me fiercely, his teeth bared and his eyes cruel. And I knew that this was his doing.

"Let me go!" I shouted, pounding at the crushing claw. "Let me go!"

In response, the giant Heartless flapped its wings, and with a powerful gust of wind, I was dragged into the air along with Sora and Riku. My stomach lurched as the tower vanished beneath me, along with Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless, whose eyes never left my face.

I pounded on the monster's toes, then slashed at them with my keyblade. It screeched, and finally, its grip loosened. I managed to worm out of its grasp, trying all the while not to look down.

"Kairi!" Sora cried. I looked up to see him climbing down the Heartless's leg, his hand extended. "Grab on! Hurry!"

I climbed higher, though it was hard to find a place for my fingers to latch onto on the monster's smooth scales. Finally I was close enough; I reached out, and the tips of my fingers caught Sora's.

He pulled me swiftly out of harm's way and into his arms. Then he shouted, "Hold on," above the roar of the wind. He began to pull me onto the Heartless's back, where Riku was waiting to latch onto us in case we started to slip.

Once we were safe, Sora caressed my face, as though he didn't have a care in the world. "We saw you fighting," he said, still hanging onto me. "Riku was going crazy! But I knew you'd be alright! I knew that you could—"

"Sora," Riku shouted above the wind. "This isn't over yet." His eyes were cold and fierce, his voice reproachful.

As if to agree with this statement, the Heartless gave a deafening roar.

"C'mon!" Riku growled, and lunged at the back of the monster's head. He slashed at it repeatedly with his keyblade, sending shreds of darkness flying. "Bring it, you stupid—"

The creature shrieked indignantly, then soared upward, nearly sending us all tumbling to our deaths. Sora grabbed onto its wing joint and caught my hand before I fell. The world rolled upside down and right side up again as the beast preformed a barrel roll.

When the world stopped spinning, Sora released me and went flying at the monster's head. Riku joined him. Together, their keyblades joined in the most glorious symphony of metallic clashes, sapping the creature's strength as Riku and Sora lunged and dove to avoid its snapping teeth.

Their speed and agility was incredible. I could only hold on for dear life, too weakened to be of much help. I couldn't help but marvel at the flashes of light erupting above me, the magic that seemed to pour from Sora's keyblade like a mighty river, and the way Riku danced out of harm's way, only to strike again with a ferocity unique to one who knows the fighting styles of both darkness and light. Their teeth were bared, their eyes were bright, and they were beautiful.

But the Heartless was extremely powerful. It was almost as though its scales were made of steel, and its stamina poured incessantly from the darkness inside of it. Sora took a heavy blow from tip of its wing, and was sent sprawling. I caught onto his arm before he slid off the creature's back.

"Nothing fazes this thing!" he shouted, catching a foothold on the Heartless's wing joint.

I held his hand, and my eyes roved over the beast that Riku was still fearlessly slashing at.

Suddenly, the monster plunged toward the ground, bowing its back, and I lost hold on its scales, Sora's hand, and anything solid.

And then I was freefalling.


	17. Oathkeeper

17

Oathkeeper

"Kairi!" Riku shouted. He let go of his own hold on the Heartless's head and lunged at me. I reached for him, but I was tumbling head over heels and couldn't seem to make sense of direction anymore.

Suddenly, two hands caught hold of my arms and yanked me back to a solid surface. I looked up to see Sora and Riku, each with a tight grip on the monster's scales. Sora's eyes were filled with wondrous relief, while Riku's were filled with blind, icy fury.

"Now do you see what I was talking about?" he shouted, his furious face only inches from Sora's. "You're not right all the time, Sora! And when _both_ of us lose Kairi it'll be all your fault!"

Sora looked startled, then angry. "We're not going to lose her! She's fine!"

"She is _now_, but maybe you didn't notice how—"

The monster roared, cutting him off. I looked up at it, as Sora and Riku continued to shout at each other. It seemed to be gaining strength, almost feeding on their discord. They just weren't powerful enough to finish it alone.

Alone…

"Riku, Sora!" I shouted, interrupting them, "Stop it! You defeated Xemnas together—so I know you can do anything if you just stop fighting! Please, please, please do this together! It's the only way you can save us!"

Both of them glanced up at me in surprise. Riku shot me a sour look. "Kairi, do you have any idea what you're asking?"

"I'm asking you to grow up and save us already," I said, a little more sharply than may have been necessary.

"Yeah but…" Sora was shaking his head. "That's kind of impossible at the moment, in case you haven't noticed…"

"No, it's not," I said firmly. Then my voice became low and pleading. "Please. It's our only hope."

Sora and Riku stared at me for a moment, then exchanged glances. Riku's eyes softened a little. "She's right," he said, a little begrudgingly. "Perpetual rivals make a devastating team."

"Perpetual rivals? Is that what we are?" Sora wondered. I saw a flicker of sadness cross his face.

Riku paused to think this over, his eyes thoughtful and his silvery hair whipping about his face. "Maybe more like… Perpetual friends. With a little more rivalry between us than most."

Sora laughed. The two of them exchanged glances, as though the bond between them were resurfacing to remind them who they really were, solidifying their part of the eternal triangle that would always link the three of us together. Finally Sora spoke. "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Riku smiled and raised his arm, which was bent at the elbow, toward Sora. Sora raised his, and their forearms met in a symbol of eternal brotherhood and everlasting friendship.

And then with twin shouts and a blinding flash of light, both were in the air, high above the Heartless's head.

They seemed to float on either side of it, carried by an eerie light that surrounded them. And then they were throwing their keyblades into the monster's face, wreaking incredible damage with each clash and each flash of light. The creature roared and lashed its mighty head.

And then they were back-to-back, their eyes locked fiercely on the giant beast. "Is that all you got?" Riku taunted, and he seemed to glow with the power that surged through him. And suddenly Riku and Sora were spinning in a circle, and shafts of bright light surrounded them in a circle, pointing outward. Sora's were bright gold; Riku's were dark blue. They spun in a destructive circle until Riku broke away and wreaked a devastating slash to the monster's head with a confident, "I'll take 'im!"

The beast was faltering now; tendrils of darkness seemed to ooze from beneath its heavy scales. Its roar was more like a weak squawk. All of us knew that it had only moments left.

"Riku?" Sora shouted, and Riku nodded—then the two of them were lobbing their keyblades into the air, where they hung, each pointing at the Heartless's head. Each was surrounded by a glowing ball of light. Sora's, the Oathkeeper, was surrounded by golden light, Riku's, the Way to the Dawn, was shrouded in blue. Shafts of light seemed to be pouring from the tip of each one, smothering the Heartless, exploiting the darkness.

"Sweet!" Sora exclaimed, and they bumped arms in victorious camaraderie. They fell to the creature's back, laughing and panting.

"You did it! You did it!" I cried. I climbed up the slippery scales toward them, and they encircled me in a tight embrace. I could hardly believe what was happening. The three of us were together again, really, really together again. Our friendship had somehow managed to endure everything that life and love and hate had thrown at us.

And then the Heartless wobbled, faltered, and began to plummet toward the ground. I held on tight to Sora and Riku's hands, and they held on to creature's wing joints. I wasn't afraid, really. Surely Sora or Riku knew some kind of spell that could cushion our landing. I looked up into Sora's eyes for reassurance. But I didn't find any.

He looked anxious, terrified, even. He saw the look on my face and nodded toward the ground. "There's a ton of people down there!"

My stomach lurched. I looked over the side of the Heartless to see a huge crowd gathered beneath the north tower. Surely they were running now, trying to get out of the way of this huge, falling pile of flesh—but what if they couldn't move fast enough?

My people. My people! I had to save them. There had to be something I could do to protect them. "Sora!" I shouted above the rush of the wind. We were falling fast now, so fast that I could feel my skin rippling. "Do you know a spell that can stop it?"

"Not something this big!" he shouted. "It's too heavy!"

I looked desperately up at Riku, but he only shook his head. There was pity in his eyes—pity for us, and pity for anyone that would surely be killed in the events that would follow.

But I wouldn't let this happen. I _couldn't_. The Heartless was pretty well finished off, but I knew that there was one thing clinging to it, keeping it from fading away.

I looked over the monster's side again. Sure enough, on the top of the north tower, I could see a hunched black figure. It was almost directly beneath us—the monster's circling had not taken us far away. I knew what had to be done, and my keyblade warmed my hand, as though it were agreeing with my decision.

I wrenched my hands out of Sora's and Riku's so quickly that they didn't have time to object or even grab at me. And then I was diving headfirst toward the earth, my arms above my head, my hands pointing ground-ward. My keyblade was in my right hand, and it seemed to be dragging me toward the ground, much faster than the falling Heartless above us.

As I fell, the wind whipped at my face and hair and my eyes watered. The top of the tower loomed closer, closer, and closer.

Suddenly, Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless looked up. He was too weak to stand, too weak to defend himself… and yet he still managed to glare at me, flinging his hatred skyward.

So I didn't pity him as the keyblade and I crashed headlong into the tower.

~o~

I had a vague idea that I should be in some sort of terrible pain. But I wasn't. All I knew was that I was surrounded in brilliant white light and seemed to be floating in mid-air.

The light encompassed everything. For a moment I wondered if I was dead.

But then I could see that I was merely floating in a sphere of brightness high above the top of the tower. Far below me I could see my keyblade, sheathed up to the hilt in shingles and stone. Tsukada's Heartless was nowhere to be seen.

Riku and Sora were falling gracefully toward me, their hair flapping back in the wind. Sora reached out with his keyblade, and I was close enough that I could hear him when he said, "_Gather_!"

The two of them lurched to a stop in mid-air, then spun gracefully downward.

As soon as Sora could reach me, he took my hands in his own and guided me to the ground. Riku landed easily not far from where we did. I caught a glimpse of the oddly pensive expression that spread across his face when Sora kissed my cheek. There was a quick flash of brightness where his lips had met my skin—almost as if the very realm of Light approved of our union.

I leaned over, grabbed my keyblade by the handle, and tore it out of the roof in which it was so deeply immersed. For what felt like the millionth time, I marveled at its strength.

"So the Heartless faded away?" I asked quietly. I knew I should be badly shaken. But for once, my body didn't tremble and my heart wasn't flying.

"Yeah," Sora replied, equally composed. Both he and Riku were panting heavily. "It disappeared as soon as you hit the tower."

"That's good," I said, closing my eyes with contentment. "Everyone is safe. Finally." It was as though the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders.

Quite suddenly, Sora grabbed my arm and tugged me into a bone-crushing hug. His breath whooshed across my ear, warm and soft. "Kairi," he said tenderly, and a shiver of joy went up my backbone, "You're the bravest person I've ever known."

I pressed my face into his shoulder. "Hmm-mm," I disagreed. "That'd be you."

"Kairi?"

I looked up. Riku stood beside us, his eyes downcast, his face troubled. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. I could tell that something was worrying him.

"What is it, Riku?" I asked, pulling away from Sora's chest.

Riku looked up at me, and for the first time in a long time, his icy eyes had reached the melting point. They weren't cold and bitter. It was a strange, somewhat satisfying sight.

He turned his head to the side and huffed a sigh, but it wasn't filled with its usual frustration—rather an uncomfortable sort of acquiescence. He cleared his throat, but still didn't say a word.

Sora and I exchanged quick glances. I knew it would be best if Riku just said whatever he needed to say, but at the same time… I'd rather he were never in pain, never in any discomfort. I'd caused enough of that already, after all.

"Well, whatever it is, you can always tell me later," I said simply. "Don't worry about—"

"I'm sorry." He said the words so quickly that they sounded harsh. I was a little taken aback—until I recognized the look of personal victory in his eyes. It was the kind of look that accompanied a fatal blow to a particularly powerful Heartless. It smoldered with conviction and determination. "I'm sorry, Kairi."

We stared at one another for a long moment, and Sora looked at the ground—giving us what privacy he could, I guess.

"Riku," I breathed. "You don't have to—"

"No, I want to." He took a deep, steadying breath. "Seeing you together—I understand now. I'm sorry for… everything. Everything I thought I knew. I guess I thought things would change, but… I was wrong. And… I underestimated you. Both of you. You've proved yourselves to me, now."

My throat was starting to constrict and cut off my airway.

"And Sora?"

Sora looked up, surprised.

Riku cleared his throat gruffly. "Same goes."

Sora smiled, and it was the kind of smile that warmed his eyes up like a tropical sea. "Thanks, Riku," he said affectionately. "That—that means a lot." He reached out, and Riku grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. Then he grinned.

I choked back a sob and flung myself into Riku's arms. He started in surprise, then hugged me back in a tender, protective way. I wanted to say something, something about how sorry I was for all the crap I'd put him through, but no words would come without any tears.

Finally I opened my mouth. "Promise me something," I said, and my voice wavered, despite the fact that I was trying my damndest not to cry.

"Whatever you want," he said, without any hesitation.

I buried my face so that he wouldn't see my eyes glitter. "Promise me you won't go away. Promise me you'll be around whenever we need you. Whenever _I_ need you. Even though I don't deserve it."

"I will," he said. "And there's something else I want to promise. I swear, Kairi, to love you right," he gave me a gentle squeeze. "I'll love you right forever."

_Crap, crap, crap_, I thought, as moisture trickled from my eyes and ran in rivers down my cheeks. What could I possibly say to that and still manage to stay in one piece? I had to stay strong, I just _had _to—

"Me too," I choked out. "I'll love you right, too." And then the dam burst, and I was sobbing on his shoulder. "Oh Riku, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," he said, rocking me back and forth. "It's okay. I understand now." And suddenly I changed hands, and found myself in a different set of arms, my tears soaking a different T-shirt altogether. "Sora!" I wailed. "Sora, I—"

"Kairi," he interrupted firmly, yet soothingly, "it's okay. Everything's alright now. Look at us! We're together again!" He laughed, and it was a quick, joyous sound. "I mean, really, how long has it been?"

I looked up at the two human beings that I loved most. They were smiling, and Riku was standing at Sora's side in brotherly camaraderie, just like in my memories.

It was true. It was real. We were together again. And this time there was nothing strong enough to tear us apart.

As I stood there, my tears of misery flowing to tears of peace, I became vaguely aware of a strange roaring sound in my ears. It immediately took to me back to the island—to the rushing of the waves on the sand. I wondered, wryly, if I'd ever be able to conjure up another image for any roaring, rushing sound that I happened to hear.

"What _is_ that?" Riku wondered.

Sora twisted his head around; I could feel the muscles in his neck stretch taut. "I dunno," his voice rumbled, deep and familiar beneath my ear. "Waves?"

I smiled and pulled him closer. Could we be any more alike? Even our _imaginations_ were synced up.

"No," Riku said, and his eyes brightened with sudden comprehension. "It's the people."

Together, we walked to the edge of the roof and looked out over the postern area. Sure enough, a huge crowd was still surrounding the tower, and their combined shouts seemed to be resonating upward as they bounced off the vast blue cliffs surrounding us.

"Do you think they saw the whole thing?" I wondered, leaning cautiously toward the edge.

Riku was smiling. "Probably. Hey—did you catch that?"

"What?" I asked, glancing at him over my shoulder. All I could hear was the same, incomprehensible roar.

Riku paused again, inclining his head toward the noise. Then he smiled. "Our names. They're saying our names, one after the other." He laughed, obviously pleasantly surprised.

Sora beamed. "Well let's get down there," he said. "Give 'em what they want. C'mon, guys!"

And I took Sora's hand in my right, and Riku's in my left, and we began our extraordinarily light-hearted journey back down the tower.

~o~

We emerged on one of my favorite marble balconies. It hung well over the crowd, which seemed to stretch on for miles. As Riku closed the doors behind us, the noise that erupted around us nearly split my eardrums.

And suddenly Donald and Goofy were there. Goofy gathered Sora up in a clumsy, long-armed hug, and Donald threw his chest out and smiled importantly over the crowd. Again, he was so cute that I just wanted to giggle and wrap my arms around him, but resisted.

"Kairi! Kairi!" Yuffie was screaming and jumping up and down directly beneath the balcony. I was amazed that I was able to single her voice out through all the tumult. And then I could see Aerith, beaming, with Cloud at her side, who was looking as sullen and disinterested as always. Cid was not far away, chuckling and chewing on a toothpick, and Leon's arms were folded, but he smiled up at us in a way that made me glow with pride.

There were reporters everywhere, struggling to get closer with their microphones and heavy cameras, but they weren't the only ones in the chaotic mass that wanted to press in on us. People's hands were lifted toward us, their eyes full, and though I couldn't discern their voices I could see their lips framing our names.

I beamed at them and clasped my hands together joyfully. Finally, I could ensure their safety. Chancellor Tsukada was gone, and now there would be peace in this beautiful place—peace that was well-deserved. Now I could pass new laws and rule without any interference from my selfish uncle… or his Heartless, anyway.

"We did it, everyone!" I shouted, and a sudden hush fell over them; enough that my voice could carry across the expanse of the postern. "Radiant Garden is ours again!"

The tumult was absolutely earth-shattering; I wished for a set of ear plugs, but at the same time, I didn't. It was good to witness their raw power of their victory. And it was good to feel it for myself.

"Here, Kairi!" Yuffie shouted. From Leon's shoulders, she passed a microphone up through the railing. I bent over and grabbed it.

"So you can sleep soundly tonight," I said, my voice amplified, now. "Thanks to your own bravery, and thanks to Sora and Riku, the heroes!"

Sora yanked the microphone out of my hands. "And your princess, Kairi," he added. I blushed as the crowd roared their approval. "She's a heroine!"

Toward the back they began chanting something, but I couldn't quite catch what it was. I took the microphone from Sora. "This is the third time Sora's saved Radiant Garden, you know," I said, glancing up at him from beneath my eyelashes. "You could definitely say that _he's_ the hero."

The chanting was growing louder. I strained my ears, but still, I couldn't quite catch the words.

Sora yanked it back. "Well it's not like I've always been here to take care of it. I haven't ruled it like Kairi has, without a single care except what's best for her people."

The noise was deafening. I reached out to reclaim the microphone, But Riku beat me to it. He was laughing and rolling his eyes as he yanked it out of Sora's hands. "Suffice to say, they're _both_ the heroes of Radiant Garden."

They laughed, but the sound was lost in the steady, synchronized roar that seemed to be spreading from the back of the crowd to the front like a highly infectious virus.

Now nearly all of them were in on the chant—I could see Yuffie and Aerith jumping up and down, their fists in the air, as they said the same words, over and over again…

There was one stressed syllable, followed by a stressed and unstressed syllable… and then another stressed syllable, followed by _another_ stressed and unstressed syllable…

Two words… followed by another two words… repeated, again and again.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered. I watched the pattern of their lips. My heart flew, and my breath stopped whooshing in and out of my chest. "Oh…Sora…" I grabbed his arm.

Sora's eyes were wide, flying back and forth between us, and his chest was heaving. "Wait… Riku… what are they saying?"

Riku chose to ignore him. "So tell them what you want," he boomed into the microphone, voice carrying easily across the vast expanse. He graced us with a sly smirk, then flashed a perfect, gleaming smile out at the crowd. "Tell them—what is it that you want from your hero and heroine, now?"

The chant was nearly shaking the ground with its volume; every face was turned upward, toward us. Fists were in the air, eyes were bright… and I knew then that it couldn't be real. It _had_ to be a dream. Because I could discern what they were saying now, and it wasn't sane. It wasn't logical. It belonged to the world of fantasy and fairy tales.

"KING Sora!"

My knees were suddenly very weak; I had to grab onto the railing for support.

"QUEEN Kairi!"

Sora's mouth fell open. He could only stand there, staring, as dumbfounded as I was.

"KING Sora, QUEEN Kairi!"

The words thundered across the postern, seeming to resonate from the great blue cliffs around us, bounding and trumpeting and flooding the entire world in their tumultuous glory—

"KING Sora, QUEEN Kairi!"

"KING Sora, QUEEN Kairi!"

"_KING Sora, QUEEN Kairi!_"

And suddenly, all the confusion seemed to leave Sora's face. His muscles relaxed, and his face split into the most exultant smile—the smile that I loved more than anything. The smile that warmed be to my very core and filled my heart with joy and light.

Still, I was in an immeasurable amount of shock. I looked at him incredulously; where did he get his resilience from? _I_ was still trying to restart my heart.

And then he turned and looked straight into my eyes.

There were a lot of questions. I was sure my eyes were brimming full of them as they bored into his—and I was worried that they must go unanswered. They were things that I couldn't ask aloud—not here, not now. Oh, why here, why now? Why did it have to happen like _this_?

I couldn't ask him if it was too soon, or if we were too young. I couldn't ask him about our parents back home, or what they would think. I couldn't ask him for a reason. I couldn't ask him _why_.

I couldn't ask, and neither could he. But our hearts were one. Deep in one another's eyes, we could find the answers.

Why not here, why not now? These people were witnesses of our undying love, witnesses of our victories and defeats, witnesses of our blood and tears. I thought of Yuffie, Aerith, Leon... and suddenly, I _wanted_ them there—they would fill the void of our privacy with their genuine love for us.

Was it too soon? Truly? I thought back over my relationship with Sora—the little boy who I'd known since before I could remember. I remembered those sunny days on the island, when we'd played in the warm, shallow ocean and made sand castles on the beach. I remembered how he was the one who'd patronized me with hopscotch and jump rope whenever Selphie couldn't come over. I remembered how his eyes had always followed me wherever I went, and how, when I'd fallen down and scraped my knees on the dock, he'd helped me up and planted a moist, tender kiss on my cheek. He'd always wiped the tears away, always been patient and eager to play with me, even though I was small and delicate.

He'd always been there when I'd needed him most. He'd always been my dearest friend. Even Riku could not boast such devotion.

I thought of a secret cavern, the entrance of which was concealed beneath the roots of a massive tree. I thought of the boy who scribbled alongside me there until the walls were covered in wriggling white artwork. I remembered two pictures especially, and how small they'd looked when I'd viewed them again as a fourteen-year-old. Through my tears, I'd seen the outline of a Paopu fruit that was a little whiter and newer than all the drawings surrounding it. To this day, it arced away from the picture of Sora and toward the picture of me, representing an act of sharing. An act of love.

Love. That was what it really came down to. It wasn't too soon. It wasn't soon _enough_.

I smiled at Sora, and his answering grin was absolutely triumphant.

True, we were young. At eighteen, we thought of ourselves as adults, but we were really just children. What would everyone say?

And suddenly, I found that I didn't care. I searched Sora's eyes for some sign of doubt, but they were a deep, steady blue and did not waver. He didn't care, either.

He took my hands in his own. Everything was quiet, all except the ringing in my ears. I swallowed convulsively, looked at the floor, and then, after a long moment, reclaimed his steady gaze.

Would I want him forever?

Yes. Yes! How could I possibly refuse him? I loved him more than my own life. I loved him more than anything and everything. Forever was a long time—but it was exactly what I wanted.

I wasn't sure how long we stood there, staring into each other's eyes, communicating through the steady connection between our hearts and souls. It could have been a minute—or it could have been forever. There was nothing but silence all around us. Not a whisper or a breath of air could be heard. To me, there was nothing in the world but Sora. And I was okay with that.

He released my hands, but not my eyes. And suddenly, there was a loud _clang_ and a flash of light.

Sora held a keyblade. And not just any keyblade. It was the Oathkeeper. It hung there, shiny, silver and resolute in his hands.

I looked from the weapon to his face, then back and forth again. What was he doing?

He smiled at me, and then his hands found the end of the silver chain that was attached to the keyblade's handle.

"I gave the Paopu charm back to you," he said, and the microphone in Riku's hand projected his words to the whole audience. "Remember? So I had nothing to keep on the end of the chain."

I nodded. Of course. It was somewhere in my room—in the bottom of my sock drawer, to be precise.

"I couldn't just leave the end of the chain with nothing on it. I had to have some kind of a charm on it… an object of reunion." He looked up at me, a smile playing around the corners of his lips. "So I bought one. It isn't a _charm_, exactly, but…" he blushed a little and looked at his hands. "At least it gave me hope."

I tried to catch a glimpse of the end of the chain, but it was concealed in Sora's hands. I wasn't the only one; out of the corner of my eye I could see people craning their necks for a better look.

He got down on one knee, and I could see him prying one of the silver links apart. His eyes left mine, only for a second, and then he let the keyblade clatter to the ground.

"Kairi," he said in a calm, clear voice that echoed over the postern. His eyes found mine again. "My one," his voice shook a little, "my only. I love you more than anything and everything. You're my life. You're my destiny. And it looks like fate has finally found us."

He turned his hand over, and pinched between his thumb and index finger was a tiny silver ring. Three minute, pale diamonds stood against its shiny surface. I gaped at it for a moment, dumbstruck. How was it that I had never noticed it dangling from the end of his chosen keyblade before?

Our eyes met. His were like an ocean at sunset, golden in their triumph, shining with the glories of his heart as though it were swimming directly beneath their semi-transparent surfaces.

Tears escaped and ran in rivers down my cheeks. I wondered, idly—could it be possible that they were liquid joy rather than just plain old saltwater?

I glanced out over the crowd and noticed that I wasn't the only one crying. Their faces were full of that same triumph that I knew must be etched on mine. I could see Yuffie bawling on Aerith's shoulder, the latter looking more contained, but no less awed in her quiet delight. And at my side, Riku. There was no bitterness in his aqua eyes, no sign of regret, and no sign of remorse. Only love. Only elation.

Sora took my left hand in his. "So now I'd like to know… if what you want _is_ forever, then…" he was positively glowing now. "Will you marry me?"

In his ocean eyes, I saw eternity. It was mine for the taking. And there was no question that I wanted it.

"Yes," I said softly. And then a little more loudly, so our loved ones could hear, "I will."

Thunderous applause. Exaltation. And then a tiny silver ring, sliding to rest on the second smallest finger of my left hand, where it would bask, forever, in the light.


	18. Wedding Bells

~o~

18

Wedding Bells

I opened my eyes.

Darkness flooded the space over and above and around me. I was awake, but I didn't have to wonder why.

I felt him near me. His movements sent vibrations through the realm of light—the kind that I was particularly attuned to. I heard the whisper of his fingers on my sheets as he lifted them and slid beneath them.

I stirred, reaching for him. He was everything good and clean and light, come to nestle into me, come to bury his freckled face in my neck.

"Mmmm," he breathed. His eyelashes trembled against my neck. "Are you sleeping okay?"

"No." I drew his head away from my neck and kissed his lips. Once, twice, a third time. "I keep having nightmares that Yuffie is going to turn me into a walking cupcake."

I kissed him again. His lips smiled under mine.

"Or," I continued, "that you'll be short a best man."

He shook his head. "Don't doubt him, Kairi. He needs your confidence."

I sighed. I knew that. Besides, I'd chosen my path. And Riku had chosen his. I couldn't let any more darkness into my heart—I wouldn't.

"I love you," I said simply, and kissed Sora's button nose.

He buried his face in my neck again and inhaled deeply. "You'll always be the center of my universe, Kairi."

Always.

~o~

"So-RA!" Yuffie exclaimed, combining a growl and a shriek.

Sora and I shot up off our pillows, blinking at the blinding light.

Yuffie stalked to our bedside with her hands on her hips. "What… _exactly_… do you think you're doing in here?"

"Not again," I groaned.

"Well up until recently I was sleeping," Sora said.

Yuffie snarled. I half expected to see a lashing tail protruding from the seat of her bathrobe. "Don't you know what day it is?"

The realization that I would be married within a few hours hit me, and my stomach clenched. Sora must have seen my panic, because he took my hand in his and squeezed it gently.

Yuffie didn't seem to notice. "We're going to _pretend_"—she shot Sora a venomous glare—"that you haven't seen Kairi yet today. You weren't _supposed_ to see her until she came down the aisle."

Sora rubbed his eyes. "Well from the look of things it's not morning yet. So I say it doesn't count."

I looked at the clock. It was just past four.

Yuffie clearly wasn't appeased. "Look mister—out, out, out! I'm tired of your dumb speckled mug, I don't care if you're the prince or the king or whatever, I want you out of here, and I want you out NOW!"

For some reason this struck me as tremendously funny. No matter how old I got, no matter what my titles or accolades, Yuffie would always be the boss of me, and Sora too. I giggled and giggled until I was bent in half, my whole body shaking with mirth. Sora's smile widened until he was laughing too.

Apparently this was the wrong thing to do.

Yuffie grabbed Sora by the arm and dragged him out of bed. Luckily he was somewhat clothed, but seeing him there in his underwear being dragged along by Yuffie, storming mad, only added to the hilarity.

"Sora!" I half-giggled, getting up on my knees and reaching for him. He gave me a swift peck and allowed Yuffie to drag him out of the room and shut the door behind him.

I fell back to the bed, laughing uncontrollably.

~o~

While Yuffie escorted Sora back to his room, I went out onto the balcony.

The sky was fading from black to deep blue. In a short while, it would be powder pink. I wrapped my dressing gown more tightly around me and leaned on the railing, smiling gently.

How long ago was it that I stood on this exact spot, hardly daring to hope that I'd ever see Sora again? Hardly daring to whisper his name?

I'd tried to convince myself that life without Sora was simply reality. But nothing could have been more unnatural. Slicing myself open from neck to navel and ripping out my own heart would have been easier than living that twisted half-life.

And now it was over. The darkness was passed. Sora and I were a package deal now; no matter what destiny had in store for us, we would face it together.

All I had to do now was survive my wedding day. And what were a few lacy frills compared to a giant heartless dragon, anyway?

I grimaced.

~o~

"Yikes!" I gasped, wrenching my leg out of a pair of ice-cold hands.

Yuffie emerged from beneath the skirt of my slip. "Calm down, it's just me," she said exasperatedly. She'd been up since the crack of dawn, fussing with this and that and working herself into a frenzy. The last few days of preparation hadn't done her much good; there were bags under her eyes and she rarely cracked a smile.

Still, I couldn't help but flinch away from her touch. "Dare I ask what you're _doing_ down there?" I grouched. The whole "you can't see Sora yet" thing wasn't boding with me well; I'd been surly and irritable all morning.

"I'm putting your garter on," she snapped, lifting my leg again so that she could place the tiny, springy loop of elastic over my foot. I shivered as she pulled it up my calf, over my knee, and onto my thigh.

I blushed furiously. "Okay, okay, I think that's high enough."

She laughed aloud for the first time today. "Aw, don't you _want_ Sora's hands up there?" she said slyly.

"His, yes. Yours, no," I returned as my face continued to flood with color. I bit my lip and looked at the metal clock on my wall—the one Sora had given me, with the curly sliver hearts for hands. "Where's Aerith?" I wondered aloud.

"She's got a surprise for you. I think she's picking it up at the moment," Yuffie said evasively, emerging from beneath my skirt and eyeing me critically, "Kairi, are you _sure—_?"

"Yes," I cut in firmly, reaching up to smooth my dark, straight hair around my face.

"But I could curl it," Yuffie whined. "I could three-barrel it! I could put it up a bun or a half-bun with ringlets! Or—I could even crimp it! Well, maybe not crimp it, that would be too casual, but—"

"Yuffie, please. This is the way I like it."

She wagged her head back and forth so tragically that I found it somewhat comical.

Suddenly, the door flew open. I whirled around in time to see a brown-haired figure come flying at me.

"Kairi!" Selphie squealed, taking my hands in her own and jumping up and down. "Oh, Kairi, just look at you! I haven't seen you in years!"

"Selphie?" I gasped, eyeing her over in shock and disbelief.

"Yuppers!" she giggled, squeezing my hands. "Can you believe it?"

Aerith came through the door, followed closely by a girl with long, wispy brown hair—Olette! What on earth?

"Aerith," I said, amazed, "what's going on?"

"I thought you would like it if I invited some of your friends," she replied, smiling sweetly. "After Yuffie was finished inviting dignitaries and stuff, anyway."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out. "I would have left room for them. You know that."

"Congratulations, Kairi," Olette said. She'd matured a lot since I'd last seen her; her voice was deep and her figure curved and comely. "I'm _so_ happy for you."

I couldn't doubt her sincerity, even though we barely knew each other. Her soft, round eyes seemed to glow.

I smiled. "Thanks, Olette. Thanks for coming such a long way! I mean really, I… I'm honored."

"What about me?" Selphie said, putting her hands on her hips. "I came a long way too!"

I giggled; her feigned sulkiness took me back to our island days. "Sure, Selphie. I'm glad you're here, too." I looked at her carefully; it seemed as though she hadn't changed a bit. The same familiar tuft of brown hair stuck up in the back, and she was still a beanpole with overlarge green eyes.

"How many people did you invite, anyway?" I asked.

Yuffie and Aerith exchanged nervous glances. "Um… wait and see," Yuffie said surreptitiously.

I frowned. "You can't seat very many in that entrance hall, you know," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe about a couple hundred, if you're lucky."

"I know, I know," Yuffie said. "Don't you have any faith in me? I told you I'd take care of everything."

"I know. That's what worries me," I replied, making a face.

"Well, let's do her make-up now!" Selphie squealed, clapping her hands together. "Aerith said I could help!"

Before I could stop her, she dashed into my bathroom and flung open every drawer in the vanity. "I'm so excited! What should we use? I wonder what kind of fancy makeup a _princess_ would have in her—" another girly squeal, "Ooooh! Butter London! Stila! Cle de Peau Beaute!"

Yuffie scowled at Aerith. "Well now look what you've done. You've created a monster."

"Don't worry, Yuffie. There's always room for one more," I teased.

Yuffie's scowl deepened. "Ha ha ha."

A loud squeal came from the bathroom, followed by rapid clapping. "Oooh, look at this curling iron! You've got to let me do your hair, Kairi!"

And then the primping began. I'd never felt so much like a Barbie doll in my entire life.

Together, the four girls made short work of everything that needed to be done. First they sat me down in a chair and gave me a manicure and a pedicure. While two of them worked, the others fussed over jewelry candidates. When my nails and toes were finished, I could only gape at them; they were pink and silver, and seemed to be modeled after the silhouettes of many rose petals with their sharp angles and silver curves.

Next, Selphie was allowed to go over my hair with a large porcelain straightening iron. Yuffie decided to be persistent as the iron rose and fell beneath her tortured eyes. "Please, Kairi, if you'd just let me—"

"Yuffie," I cut in, "I said no."

"But Kai_ri_," she moaned. I glanced in her direction, and was startled to see that her bottom lip was quivering. "I want to! Please!"

"Yuffie," Aerith said gently and firmly, "It's Kairi's day. Let _her_ choose."

Yuffie's sigh came out in one giant huff. "Fine," she said, plopping down on my bed. "Fine."

After Selphie pronounced my hair perfect (at which point Yuffie inserted a petulant "humph"), Aerith began to apply my makeup. She used a very small amount of foundation, telling me that she'd never seen skin "so gorgeously rich and creamy, so _au naturale._" With a liberal amount of mascara, my eyelashes hung like thick black shadows over my eyes, brushing at my cheeks whenever I blinked. And then with a little eyeliner and a touch of eye shadow, I was ready.

Yuffie gazed into my eyes, and for a moment, her surliness seemed to be forgotten. "Oh," she sniffled, tearing up a little. "Kairi, you look beautiful."

"Thanks, Yuffie," I said, in what I hoped was a steady voice. "Thanks, all of you, for your help."

"Sure. What are friends for?" Selphie said. Olette nodded, and Yuffie smiled.

After Yuffie had pulled herself together, she was all business. "Now. The dress."

"Alright," I agreed, all too willingly. "Let's get this show on the road." I looked at the clock again and groaned; there were still two hours left. Two hours in which I wasn't allowed to see Sora. Two hours before he was officially mine. The idea was almost intolerable.

Yuffie shook her head. "Be patient Kairi."

Selphie giggled. "Well, I can see cold feet won't be an issue, for you at least."

"Definitely not," I agreed.

And then Aerith, Selphie, and Olette followed Yuffie to my dress bag like lost, hungry children. Their eyes were large and round, and Selphie actually sighed at the sound of the zipper going down.

The dress seemed to cascade from its bag like a waterfall of silk. I'd chosen it myself, so it was nothing flashy. Just a simple gown with long, tight sleeves, a low collar, and a graceful train.

"Oooh," Olette cooed, reaching out to caress the heavenly surface. "Wow."

"Nice, isn't it?" Yuffie said with satisfaction.

"And it suits her well, don't you think?" Aerith mused, lifting the wedding gown up by its collar. "Simple yet comely… Nothing gaudy about it, but still, it's just… stunning!"

As they babbled on, I sighed and began to twist my ring compulsively around my finger. I wondered what Sora was doing now…

"Alright," Olette said, breaking through my reverie. "Let's put it on her."

I lifted my arms, all too eager to take a step in progress's direction. Everything went dark as Yuffie pulled the dress over my head. I was careful to keep my face away from the delicate white cloth in order to avoid smearing makeup on it. Then I wormed the dress over my chest—the waist was so tiny, even with the zipper undone—until my head was free. My arms slid, with some difficulty, into the sleeves, which seemed to melt to my skin like white paint. Aerith zipped me up with a flourish.

"There. Now for the finishing touches," Yuffie said brightly. From a black case on my nightstand, she withdrew a glittering silver tiara. It wasn't the one I wore to parties and press conferences. No, this one was much grander, encrusted with real diamonds in rows that curled to the heavens in great sparkling hearts. I ducked my head so that Yuffie could put it on; it went nicely with my long, semi-transparent veil.

Then a slender silver necklace was procured from a box. A tiny diamond hung from its middle like a lone star. Olette fastened the clasp behind my neck and pulled my hair out from underneath it.

I slipped into a pair of slender white high-heels. And then I was ready.

"Oh," Selphie breathed. Her eyes were round pools of awe. Olette clasped her hands against her heart. I walked over to my full-body mirror to see what all the fuss was about.

And for once in my life, I felt like I really looked like a princess.

But it wasn't as though I was completely unrecognizable. My eyes glowed, soft and cerulean and joyful from beneath their curtain of thick black lashes. My lips curved upward, full and pink and familiar, while my hair fell in long, dark red curtains down my back and across my shoulders—the same as any other day. My slender fingers peeked out from beneath the sleeves that clung to my hands—just enough that the tiny ring on my finger could be easily seen.

"Presenting Her Royal Highness, Queen Kairi of Radiant Garden," Yuffie said, with a gesture in my direction and a graceful bow. "The audience may be seated."

I shook my head ruefully. "I'm not the queen yet, guys."

"It's pretty safe to say that you _will_ be," Aerith interjected.

"Unless _Sora_ gets cold feet," I said with a short laugh. Then I frowned. "If only I could go see him. I'm sure he's just as nervous as I am."

"Oh no you don't," Yuffie said, turning balky. "You know the rules."

There was a quiet knock at the door.

"I'll get it, I'll get it, I'll get it!" Selphie cried, as exuberant as ever. She dashed over to the door and glanced out the peephole.

Selphie gasped. "Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh," she said, all in one breath, "it's _Riku_!"

"Riku?" Yuffie said stonily, putting her hands on her hips and scowling dangerously. "Tell him to get his butt back to Sora's room! He's not allowed to see Kairi yet, either."

I felt like covering her mouth with my hand to staunch the stream of nonsense that poured from it, but somehow managed to restrain myself. "No, no, Selphie, let him in! I want to talk to him."

Selphie giggled, a little maniacally. "_Sure_, I want to talk to him, _too_!" she said in a highly significant way. I rolled my eyes.

She flung the door open with so much energy that it hit the wall with a startling_ bang_. Turns out, it was an appropriate way to announce Riku's entrance.

He was dressed in a smooth black tux that not only accented the look of debonair, roguish confidence that he wore so well, but also made him look like he was about twenty-three. His silvery hair fell into his eyes as usual. They were hooded and aloft in their angular frames. One corner of his mouth pulled upward, but the rest of his features were masked with suave disinterest.

"Hi, Riku," Selphie squeaked. She bounced back and forth from her heels to her toes, obviously brimming with excitement.

His eyes roved over her skinny figure before he found her face. He graced her with a slow, smooth smile, then said, "Hey," with an upward jerk of the head.

Selphie clutched her hands to her heart, and I knew from her expression that her insides had melted to an awestruck puddle of goo.

And then his eyes fell on me. They seemed to brighten for a moment from behind their cool façade. "Um… wow," he said, eyeing me over. "You look… incredible."

"Thanks, Riku," I said lightly. "You do, too." Then I bit my lip.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as intuitive as always.

I sighed. "Well, I'm just so happy that you're here, and I want to give you a big hug, but I'm worried I'll muss up our fancy outfits." I looked down at my gauzy skirt.

He laughed, and in that moment, I could see only warmth in his eyes. "Is that all?" he said. Still chortling, he strode across the room and swept me up in a warm, comfortable embrace. "I think it's worth it, to be honest."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, clutching him to me. "Thanks for being here, Riku," I murmured into his ear.

"I made a promise, remember?" he said gruffly.

I nodded and gave him a gentle squeeze.

Almost immediately I felt him stiffen. He drew me away from him and set me on my feet. "Keep it clean princess," he teased with a familiar, impish smirk on his face. "You're getting married today, remember?"

I swatted at him and then surrendered myself to Yuffie's tight-faced disapproval. To her credit, she straightened my gown without a word.

"So what's going on in Sora's room, Riku?" Aerith asked.

"Um, not much," he said, leaning casually against the wall. "Kid needed help with just about everything, right down to buttoning his cufflinks. But I'm sure Hayner and Pence and Leon got it sorted out." Suddenly he laughed, eyes sparking with good-natured humor. "They're still trying to figure out what the hell they're supposed to do with his hair."

"Leave it," I said wisely.

Yuffie nodded solemnly. "Yeah, there's probably not enough gel in the world to make that hair look respectable."

Selphie stifled a giggle.

"So, Riku…" I began, a little nervously, "Is he doing okay? I mean… he's not afraid or anything, is he?"

Riku smiled. "He's _fine_, Kairi. He even told me to tell you that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Funny, how he knew you would be worrying." He smiled and his eyes seemed to be laughing at me from beneath their heavy lashes.

"Oh, stop it," I said, blushing. "I don't worry _that_ much."

"Yes you do," Yuffie said dispassionately, fiddling with my tiara and veil. I scowled at her for siding against me. But Riku inclined his head toward her, eyebrows raised as if this only proved his point.

"I think every bride worries on her wedding day," Olette said with a shrug. I noticed Riku's eyes flash questioningly in her direction.

"Oh," I said, as the thought occurred to me, "I don't know if you two have met—this is Olette, Riku," I said quickly, gesturing to the curvy, quiet brunette on my right.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a casual smile.

I could tell that her apparent indifference piqued Riku's curiosity. "Hey," he said, a little less confidently than before.

Yuffie's next outburst nearly scared me out of my skin. "Oh my gosh!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air. "I almost forgot!"

"What?" Selphie, Aerith, and Olette chimed.

"Kairi's presents. She _has_ to unwrap them before the reception, and we won't have time after the ceremony."

"Presents?" I asked, confused. "What presents?"

Instead of answering me, Yuffie turned on Riku. "Shoo, shoo, shoo!" she said, making sweeping motions at him with her hands. "This is no-boys-allowed kind of stuff!

Riku raised an eyebrow at her. Then sudden comprehension dawned on his face. "Oh," he said, chortling. "_Oh_. Okay. See you later."

I gave him a questioning look, which he answered with a smirk. "Good luck today, Kairi," was all he said. "And congratulations."

"Thanks, Riku," I said as Yuffie grabbed my arm and dragged me toward a stack of neatly-wrapped packages on the top of the bookshelf. "Bye!"

"See you, Kairi. See you, Olette." He flashed a stunning smile in her direction.

"Bye," she replied, smiling gently. "I'll see you at the ceremony."

"Sure," he said, closing the door behind him. The smell of his cologne still hung in the air. I barely had time to puzzle over his parting words and Olette's thoughtful expression before Yuffie threw the first present into my lap.

"Okay, this one's from me!" she crowed. "Open it, open it!"

"Okay, okay," I said, laughing and slipping my fingers beneath the seams in the wrapping paper. "Take it easy."

Inside was a cardboard box with the words "La Perla" printed in curvy black lettering across its top.

"Oh, wow," Aerith said, as Selphie began to giggle uncontrollably and cover her mouth with both hands.

"What?" I asked; I'll admit I was naïve. "What is it?"

Yuffie smirked. "Open it and see."

I removed the top of the box and felt my face grow hot upon catching sight of its contents: skimpy black lace and thin elastic. Beaded cups. Skinny little straps.

I was at a loss for words. "Oh—why would you—Yuffie, this is embarrassing."

Yuffie and Selphie were giggling wildly, now; only Aerith retained her composure. "Hold it up, Kairi," she said. "Don't listen to them."

"I'm _not_ holding it up," I said furiously. My cheeks were positively burning.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said, trying to console me.

But Yuffie and Selphie were still giggling like schoolgirls. "Kairi!" Yuffie choked out, "Your face! Your face is _priceless_!"

I knew that she was probably right, but my pride kept me from admitting it. "So you got me a present just so you could laugh at me when I opened it?" I said scornfully. "Thanks a lot."

"Well, that was definitely part of it," Yuffie said matter-of-factly. "But seriously, Kairi, I picked this one out myself, and it is super hot."

"You'll love it," Aerith agreed. "And Sora will, too."

"Plus there's a whole lot more of them, enough to keep you entertained for months," Yuffie said slyly, gesturing to the stack of unwrapped presents on the nightstand.

Another wave of heat came over me. I wondered if Sora would mind it too much if I didn't wear those things. Our physical relationship hadn't suffered any from a lack of skimpy nighties so far.

So I swallowed my pride and said, "Thanks girls. You're the best."

"We know," Yuffie replied, dumping a pile of presents into my lap. I sighed and reached for one.

It was another La Perla, but it turned out to be a little less revealing than the last one. It was made of baby blue silk, and the bottoms were not much unlike my some of my pajama shorts. Maybe I would wear this one, anyway, just because it looked comfy.

Suddenly, there was a smattering of knocks at the door.

"_Now_ who is it?" Yuffie said irritably, twisting her head around. I seized the opportunity to purge my lap of embarrassing articles of clothing.

Selphie hopped up and pranced over to the door. "It's a duck like Donald," she said, surprise coloring her voice as she peered through the peephole. "Only she's a girl!"

"Daisy?" I said, surprised. "Let her in, Selphie."

As Selphie opened the door, Daisy's commanding voice filled the room. "—And I'm sure that the king will be arriving at any moment," she was saying to someone I couldn't see. "So you shouldn't worry, Your Majesty."

I jumped up off the bed. "Queen Minnie?" I asked, stunned.

The queen came around the corner. Though she looked harmless enough with her hands pressed together and a smile on her rounded face, something about her tiny being commanded a certain amount of respect. Aerith and Yuffie obviously felt it; they were on their feet a split-second after I was.

"Hello, Kairi," the queen said. Her voice was like peppermint candy in my ears, sweet, yet polished and classy. "The king said that you were getting married today, so I thought we should stop in and congratulate you."

Her smile was positively radiant; I couldn't help feeling awestruck in the presence of this tiny, yet inspiring personage. "Thank you, Your Majesty," I said, curtsying despite my obvious lack of talent in that area.

But Queen Minnie waved a hand in my direction as though to sweep me back into an upright position. I noticed that she wore a silver ring on her finger. "Oh, no need for that," the she said with a tiny giggle. "You're a queen now, too."

"Well… soon, I will be," I corrected, and straightened up a little.

"Your Majesty," Yuffie interjected with a little bow, "you're welcome to stay if you like."

Queen Minnie was obviously pleased. "Well, that would be lovely, but is there enough room?"

Yuffie nodded. "Oh, of course. And, I mean, we can certainly _make_ room for you and the king if we have to."

"Oh, I wouldn't want you to have to do that," Queen Minnie mused. "There certainly _are_ a lot of guests outside."

"Outside?" I asked, confused.

"Surprise." Yuffie turned to me, shrugging. "We decided it'd be better to have the ceremony in the gardens. And it's a good thing, too…" she wandered over to the window and peered out.

I followed her there, and was alarmed at what I saw.

There had to be thousands of people outside. _Thousands_. From what I could see, they stretched across the entire courtyard and out past the postern, a shadowy mass of bodies as infinite as the stars.

"But—but—where did they all come from?" I gasped.

"Other worlds," Queen Minnie said simply. "I'm guessing that a fair few of them are Sora, Donald, and Goofy's friends. Even though it's usually against the rules to visit other worlds, the king thought it would be all right just this once. It's a very special occasion, after all."

I could only stare.

"Y-Yuffie," I stammered at last, "what if—what if I trip or—say my vows wrong or—"

"Walk down the aisle with flat, straight hair?" Yuffie said smugly.

I could only stare at her. Panic was rising in my chest.

"Kairi, are you actually nervous?" she asked, not unkindly.

"No," I squeaked. But I wondered—if I were to bolt in this dress, could I make it to my hiding place (the secret passage in the library) without getting tackled by my maid of honor and dragged back to my bedroom like a wounded gazelle?

"Kairi." Aerith put a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at her; she was smiling in an understanding sort of way. I wondered if she could read my thoughts. "Remember why you're here," she said gently.

I looked back into her eyes. Slowly, I nodded.

Suddenly there was another knock at the door. Yuffie opened it.

It Leon. "They're ready for her," he said brightly.

From that point on, everything entered into a sort of delirium. Somehow I managed to get through my bedroom door, but I was leaning heavily on Yuffie. Selphie trotted along behind me, holding my train. Aerith walked beside me, turning to give me a calming smile periodically.

_Sora, Sora, Sora,_ I thought desperately, trying to forget the tug of the heavy dress and the people waiting for me in the gardens. _Sora_….

And, wonder of wonders, when I closed my eyes, I saw two orbs of blue—heard the rush of the waves—felt the sun on his cinnamon-brown cheek. "Kairi," he said softly.

I think I glided down the stairs.

* * *

A/N: I finally decided that this story deserved a proper ending! I'll have the final chapter up within a week. Please leave me a **review**. I'd love to know what you think.


	19. Destiny's Embrace

~o~

19

Destiny's Embrace

When the doors opened, my panic returned in full force. The rushing sound of thousands turning to look at me filled my head. It was a long way to the fountain at the end of the walkway, where we would be married.

It didn't help that Sora was so far away that I couldn't see his face yet.

There was an explosion of flapping behind me and I couldn't help but jump a little. Doves flew over and around me in every direction, cooing loudly. I tried to smile because everyone was watching me, but I wanted to grind my teeth. Yuffie could have told me that she was going to open a crate of doves, but of course she'd chosen to leave me in the dark.

Wagner's march boomed from the palace organ, which had been moved outside for the occasion. Yuffie prodded me gently from behind.

I swept down the steps and into the sunshine. The rush of thousands of voices met my ears. I couldn't tell if they were murmuring in approval or dissatisfaction, but it made me even more nervous. I put on my best pageant-style smile and walked like Yuffie had told me to—slowly, haltingly, my head held high. I could feel her at my side, no doubt smiling broadly and resisting the temptation to wave.

The aisle seemed to go on forever. Eventually, though, I began to look into the upturned faces that I passed.

Jasmine beamed up at me from an aisle seat. A fellow Princess of Heart! She was positively radiant with light. As soon as I laid eyes on her, I felt my fake smile melt into something more genuine. Without really thinking about it, I reached out and touched her hand.

And then I began to recognize others. Although I had been unconscious during my incarceration with Wendy, Sora had told me all about her. She was lovely. And quite a bit taller than the red-headed boy beside her, who must surely be Peter Pan. It seemed that she had decided to grow up after all.

Additionally, there were many others who I felt a rush of affection and familiarity towards, who I'd never actually met. A tall skeleton man, a long haired character in loin-cloth, a lion with a deep red mane, a blonde girl with a curious, yet kind look in her pale blue eyes…

The sight of each familiar face (familiar to my heart if not my eyes) seemed to strengthen me. My arms stopped trembling and my tongue came unstuck from the roof of my mouth. I spotted Donald and Goofy. They waved at me. I must be getting close now…

Finally, I turned my gaze to the front. And there he was.

Looking into his face was like looking into the sun. My love for him welled up inside me, threatening to burst—he was everything in the universe! He was the light that illuminated the worlds from dawn until dusk; he was in every act of goodness and selflessness that had ever been wrought; he was the reason for my existence from the moment I first laid eyes on him and knew, without a doubt, who he was and what he would become.

So why did he look at me with such amazed incredulity? Why were his ocean eyes filled to the brim with joy, yet wide with the carefulness of one who knows he is dreaming a magnificent dream and does not want to wake up? Was it possible that he didn't know how incredibly blessed I was to bask in his glow for a moment, let alone the rest of my life?

_This is reality_, a voice in my head said. _This is our reality._

"Sora!" I cried out, voice ringing with triumph. I broke into a run, the faces of my guests rushing past me in a blur.

Ignoring Riku's restraining hand on his shoulder, Sora flew down the steps and caught me up in his arms. The moment we collided something inside me throbbed; I realized that it was my heart, stretched to the seams and still growing. And here I'd been thinking that I couldn't possibly love him any more than I already did—what utter nonsense!

Suddenly, an earsplitting crack rent the air.

Silence.

"Get down!" Riku cried, tackling us and dragging us to the ground.

The fountain behind us exploded, sending huge chunks of stone flying in every direction. They came to the ground in a series of crashes. Screams rang out. Soon a deafening roar of hysterical cries surrounded us.

_What's happening, what's happening_? I twisted my head around, trying to breathe, yet unable to draw any air into my lungs. A huge mass of black and purple writhed over the place where the fountain used to be. Something tall and black was rising up out of it, its yellow eyes gleaming.

I couldn't move. I couldn't move! Something held me down.

"Riku," I tried to say, but I couldn't seem to find my voice.

"C'mon!" A voice said in my ear. "Get up fellas! You gotta get up!"

I twisted my head around again. It was King Mickey. He grabbed Riku's arm and pulled. Riku gaped at him for a moment before comprehension dawned across his face. Like me, he seemed to be in shock.

He clambered off of Sora and I. Sora's eyes were fixed straight ahead, as though he wasn't seeing or hearing the king. Some distant part of me noticed when Donald and Goofy came running, their eyes wide with concern.

"Breathe, Kairi!" Mickey said suddenly. I realized that I was seeing spots. I sucked in a gulp of air.

The thing behind me let out a deafening shriek. Whirling around, I could hardly believe what I saw.

It was like a Shadow, but it was colossal. It stood on two legs like a human, but its arms were long and grotesque. It had a giant heart-shaped hole in its torso. It seemed to have a face, but it was surrounded by a mass of writhing black tendrils—almost like a beard and hair.

Finally I found my voice. "Is that a—"

"Heartless," came a hoarse voice behind me. Sora got to his feet slowly. His mouth was drawn taut, his eyes brilliant with white-hot fury. I'd never seen that look on his face before—ever.

The screaming had grown so loud that I could hardly think. The crowd was swarming away from us, towards the postern and the fleet of gummi ships that had brought them here.

"Donald, Goofy! Get everybody out of here!" Sora cried.

Nodding seriously, Donald and Goofy disappeared into the milling crowd.

The heartless watched the scrambling mass for a moment, as though contemplating what to do next, then took a giant step after them.

"No," I shrieked, coming out of my stupor at once. I thought about summoning my keyblade and it appeared, shining and glorious in my grip.

In spite of the fact that I was in a very heavy dress, I leaped into the air and slashed into the heartless's hand, which dangled low at its side. The beast roared.

Sora flew past me, his face blazing. Leaping and slashing at the heartless's hand, he moved so quickly that he was almost a blur. Not an instant later, he was joined by Riku.

Suddenly, the ground beneath our feet became a swirling mass of darkness. I sunk into it up to my knee. Gasping, I wrenched my feet out of its grip and waded toward Riku and Sora.

A shadow rose out of the darkness, twitching and staring blankly. I brought my keyblade down on its head and it burst.

Meanwhile Leon and Yuffie had entered the fray. Leon slashed at the monster's ankles with his sword and Yuffie threw ninja stars at its head. King Mickey whirled and slashed along with Riku and Sora until the creature was so disoriented that it could only stand and roar.

I tore into its hand with all my strength, slashing and leaping and pulverizing. Today my strength didn't come from my keyblade. It came from me. It came from the people that I had promised to defend. It came from the righteous fury that rose in my breast in the face of darkness.

It didn't take long. With one last, defiant roar, the heartless burst into a cloud of dark vapor. Glittering like a beacon, a heart rose into the sky and disappeared with a flash of light. The darkness sunk into the ground and was gone.

"Quick!" Mickey said, running towards the portal of darkness that still hovered over the ruins of the fountain. "This isn't an ordinary portal! They split the realm! I don't think it's gonna go away unless we seal it!"

The king lifted his keyblade high in the air.

Without a word, Sora stepped forward, pointing his own keyblade at the swirling mass. Riku followed suit, his aqua eyes flashing with resolve. And I stepped forward as well, raising my keyblade high, willing the realm to heal this time.

Beams of light shot from the ends of our keyblades and into the heart of the darkness. There was a deep click, a flash of light, and the darkness seemed to implode. It disappeared with a gurgle, like water going down a drain.

When it was all over, we could only stand there, gaping. I was the first to lower my keyblade; it disappeared with a clang.

My gaze found Sora's. The fury was gone from his beautiful eyes. But there was hurt left in its wake.

Merlin came clambering over the chunks of stone. "Well!" he said loudly. "What happened to the security system, I'd like to know? What happened? What can possibly have—" he looked at me and his voice caught.

Mickey's ears were drooping. "I guess they found another way through. They're always looking for Sora. And there was so much light and love here today… I guess they couldn't help it. They had to come and find him. They had to destroy the light."

Suddenly the reality of the situation hit me. I wasn't marrying Sora today. The guests were gone. I could hear them struggling to organize themselves and climb aboard their ships. There was no sense in trying to stop them, even though the danger had passed. Their seats were trampled to the ground. The flowers, fountain, and pulpit were smashed to smithereens.

Even my shoes were gone. Apparently the swirling pool of darkness had sucked them off my feet and swallowed them. I looked down at my bare toes, torn between the urge to laugh and cry.

Sora picked his way through the rubble, bent down, and picked something up off the ground. It was a red velvet cushion. Our rings, which someone had attached to the cushion with golden thread, sparkled feebly.

I walked a few steps and slumped down into to a crouch, my train fanning out behind me. The wedding was destroyed… the wedding was destroyed! All of Yuffie's hard work. Smashed. I was heartbroken because I knew that she would be heartbroken.

And… I wouldn't be marrying the love of my life today either. A lump rose in my throat.

Someone crouched down beside me. It was Yuffie. She smiled weakly, tears filling her eyes. Suddenly she flung her arms around me and pressed her face into my shoulder. I noticed for the first time today how pretty she looked in her pale pink bridesmaid gown.

I stroked her hair. Everyone looked at the ground, unsure of what to say or do.

"It's alright," I finally murmured. "This is what happens when you marry the keyblade master."

Sora gave me a pained look.

"Nobody said our lives together would be a cakewalk, Sora," I said softly.

Yuffie looked up at me, tears sparkling on her cheeks.

I pressed on. "You were destined to fight the darkness until you won or it won. Until that day comes, you can't escape it. And neither can I. I'm a part of this now. I'm a part of you. And I always will be."

Sora stared at me for a long moment, his eyes wide and intense. Finally he walked over to me, took my hands in his, and pulled me to my feet.

"You're always so strong," he said softly.

I looked into his eyes. "You are my strength," I whispered.

Sora studied me for a long moment, then turned to the king. "Your Majesty, would you marry us?" he asked. "The chancellor was going to, but it looks like he left."

Yuffie and I exchanged wide-eyed glances.

The king nodded solemnly. "C'ourse, Sora. I'd be honored to."

Sora stretched out his hand. The realm split and blinding light enveloped us. He looked rather pleased with himself; it seemed that since he belonged here now, he was finally able to open a path in Radiant Garden.

He scooped me up in his arms and I pressed my face into his neck. I didn't have to ask where we were going. Neither, it seemed, did Riku, Yuffie, or the king.

Together, we stepped into the light.

~o~

The sun was sinking into the ocean; the sky was resplendent in red, orange, pink, and blue.

We stood facing each other, holding hands. His collar was slightly crumpled, but other than that, he looked nothing short of dapper in his new black tuxedo. He also wore his warmest, most Sora-ish grin. I had to resist the urge to kiss him and rumple his hair.

I wriggled my bare toes in the sand. My dress was a little wrinkled, but it was still in one piece, notwithstanding the afternoon's rigorous events. Grinning, I turned to look at Yuffie. She smiled back at me. For once my appearance didn't seem to matter to her.

Sora and I stood before the king, waiting for him to begin. The waves rushed against the tiny isle and the seagulls cried softly offshore. A gentle breeze lifted my hair, cooling my face and neck. I closed my eyes and smiled.

"This isn't exactly a normal wedding," King Mickey said. He stood atop the bent palm tree where Sora, Riku, and I had sat and watched the sunset so many times. "But now that I think about it, this isn't exactly a normal couple."

Riku laughed lightly. I glanced at him and he winked at me, his eyes dancing merrily.

"Like Kairi said earlier, you two have a battle to wage against the darkness. Because of who you are, it's never gonna leave you alone. But I'd be willin' to bet that as long as you stick together, it won't stand a chance against you."

"Hear hear," Yuffie cried softly.

"This is so much more than a wedding," the king went on. "The realm of light has won a great victory today. By promising your eternal love to one another, you will create a barrier around your hearts that the darkness can never touch."

I squeezed Sora's hands in mine.

"The rings?" the king said, looking at Riku.

Riku came forward. "I forgot to bring them. But I thought of something that might be more… meaningful." Smiling gently, he opened his hands.

Lying in them was bright yellow paupu fruit.

My eyes filled with tears.

"Kairi, would you like to go first?" the king asked.

I nodded. With a lump in my throat, I took the paupu from Riku. I smiled up into his face and touched his arm briefly.

I gripped the top point of the star-shaped fruit and gave it a gentle twist. The point came off with a lush tearing sound. The flesh within the peel was clearly visible. It was a deep pink, similar to a grapefruit.

Sora took the bottom portion of the paupu from me as I peeled my piece. Once I was finished I held it in my hand, trying to compose myself. Finally I looked into his eyes. He gave my free hand a gentle squeeze and I found my voice.

"When the worlds faded away," I said quietly, "when the sky went black, when my body was nothing but an empty shell, our love kept me alive. It snatched me from death's jaws. It snatched me from the darkness. It defied the laws of nature."

My voice caught. Sora gazed into my eyes; I saw my own reflection in them.

"It is the key," I said, "the key to everything! Even when the worlds fade away and the sky goes black, it will remain. It is the light that will defeat the darkness. I know it."

I took a deep, steadying breath.

"Sora, if there was anything in the world that I could promise you, it would be that I will love you forever. I take you as my husband in glory and in tribulation. I promise to stand by you no matter what happens. You are my destiny. You are my life."

Without breaking eye contact with Sora, I lifted the piece of paupu fruit to his lips. As he took it in his mouth, I noticed that his eyes were wet and his cheeks were flushed with emotion. He chewed and swallowed without taking his eyes off my face.

Riku cleared his throat gruffly. Yuffie was crying silently into a lace handkerchief.

"Sora?" the king prompted. His voice was high and squeaky.

Sora twisted another tip from the paupu fruit, peeled it, and held it in his hand.

"Kairi," he began. His voice broke. "You've always been my guiding light. When I was afraid… when I felt like there was no hope… you were always there, pushing me along. Our love was the driving force behind everything I did. It gave me the strength to press on when things looked bleak. It gave me the determination to do what was right, even when it seemed impossible. It kept me alive just as it kept you alive.

"I couldn't live without you," he went on, his voice growing stronger. "From the moment I laid eyes on you, you were everything to me! I don't dream of anything but you—your love, your light, and your great power. You _are_ strength and beauty and grace."

The tears were coursing down my cheeks now; it would have been pointless to try and wipe them away.

"No matter what happens, I promise to protect you. I promise to love you with every fiber of my being. Now I join my destiny with yours. I take you as my wife."

He lifted the sweet-smelling fruit to my lips. I could only stare at him in wonder and adoration, tears dripping from the end of my chin. I couldn't seem to remember how to open my mouth.

I figured it out though. Smiling, Sora fed me my portion of the paupu fruit. It was tangy and very, very sweet. As soon as I swallowed, he leaned toward me, his eyes closing softly.

This kiss was much like our first—filled with the tender hesitation of years and years of spoken and unspoken affections. Surely my heart would burst within me; was it possible that my body of mere flesh and blood was not strong enough to contain my love for this boy?

When we broke apart, King Mickey spoke. "By my authority as king, I pronounce you husband and wife."

And then my husband took me in his arms beneath the darkening sky.

~o~

* * *

A/N: Revisiting this story has been so much fun. I hope I did the wedding justice. Let me know what you think, won't you? And thanks so much for reading!


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